Secret history: Even before the revolution, America was a nation of conspiracy theorists
Since the Salem witch trials, tales of dark plots and secret organizations have emerged time and again across the land that become the United States, and such conspiracies have influenced public opinion and even the outcome of elections.
'QAnon' conspiracy theory creeps into mainstream politics
The 51-year-old woman believed the president had traced the shape of the letter โQโ with his fingers as a covert signal to followers of QAnon, a right-wing, pro-Trump conspiracy theory. University of California, Davis history professor Kathryn Olmsted, author of a book called โReal Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11,โ said it's unclear whether QAnon has attracted more believers than other conspiracy theories that have intersected with U.S. politics. โWhat's different now is that there are people in power who are spreading this conspiracy theory,โ she said, adding that Trump's conspiracy-minded rhetoric seems to fire up part of his base. Travis View, a conspiracy theory researcher who co-hosts The QAnon Anonymous Podcast and has written about QAnon for the Washington Post under his pseudonym, said the sense of community forged by QAnon believers has helped it endure beyond the life span of other conspiracy theories. Pizzagate and other far-right conspiracy theories have faded, but experts see no end in sight to QAnon's popularity.