Aug 13, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Rep. Matt Gaetz says he's "proud" to be in corner of QAnon candidate

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaking in July. Photo: Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tweeted Thursday that he's "proud" to be in the corner of Republican congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a vocal supporter of the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory.

Why it matters: Greene, who has also made offensive remarks about Black people, Jews and Muslims in Facebook videos, has created a headache for GOP leadership after winning a runoff election for the Republican nomination in Georgia's deep-red 14th congressional district on Tuesday.

  • House Republican leaders initially condemned Greene's racist comments and supported her opponent John Cowan, who ultimately lost. A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Politico that Greene will be welcomed into the House GOP conference if she wins in November.
  • President Trump on Wednesday congratulated Greene on her win and called her "a real WINNER!" Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), meanwhile, condemned QAnon and said that fringe conspiracy theories have "no place in Congress."

What he's saying: "Music to my ears. Proud to be in your corner, Marjorie!" Gaetz tweeted, sharing one of Greene's tweets in which she claims that she is only being attacked for opposing open borders and nation building.

The big picture: The QAnon conspiracy baselessly claims that a secret cabal of sex traffickers within the "deep state" is waging a war against President Trump. The FBI has identified these types of fringe conspiracy theories as potential domestic terrorist threats in 2019, according to Yahoo News.

Go deeper: Read more about QAnon's 2020 resurgence

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Ursula Perano
Sep 12, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Pence backs out of Montana fundraiser hosted by QAnon supporters

Vice President Mike Pence. Photo: Chris Carlson-Pool/Getty Images

Vice President Mike Pence will no longer attend a Trump re-election fundraiser in Bozeman, Montana that's being hosted by QAnon backers, the campaign told AP on Saturday.

Why it matters: The administration has done little to distance itself from the QAnon conspiracy theory, which purports that an elite ring of cannibals and pedophiles runs the deep state. When asked about QAnon last month, Trump said he understands its supporters "like me very much" and they are people who "love America."

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Mike Allen, author of AM
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Biden pushes unity message in new TV wave

A fresh Joe Biden ad, "New Start," signals an effort by his campaign to make unity a central theme, underscoring a new passage in his stump speech that says he won't be a president just for Democrats but for all Americans.

What he's saying: The ad — which began Friday night, and is a follow-up to "Fresh Start" — draws from a Biden speech earlier in the week in Manitowoc, Wisconsin:

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m. ET: 32,390,204 — Total deaths: 985,302 — Total recoveries: 22,286,345 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m ET: 7,020,967 — Total deaths: 203,481 — Total recoveries: 2,710,183 — Total tests: 98,476,600 — Map.
  3. States: "We’re not closing anything going forward": Florida fully lifts COVID restaurant restrictions — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam tests positive for coronavirus.
  4. Health: Young people accounted for 20% of cases this summer.
  5. Business: Coronavirus has made airports happier places —The expiration of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance looms.
  6. Education: Where bringing students back to school is most risky.
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