Capitol invaders believed themselves to be 'The Storm' prophesied by QAnon: reporter

On CNN Tuesday, Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer said that some of the rioters who invaded the U.S. Capitol were convinced they were fulfilling the prophecy of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

"Several people who took part in the Capitol Hill riot ... were supporters of QAnon, an incomprehensible conspiracy theory about Democratic pedophilia rings and other things," said anchor Erin Burnett. "From your understanding, how big of a role did QAnon play in the Capitol attack?"

"I think QAnon plays a massive role. QAnon has so many weird things," said Sommer, who has been covering the conspiracy theory for years. "The key thing for the audience to understand is that QAnon believers believe in this, almost like a fascist moment of 'The Storm,' where Donald Trump will purge his enemies and their enemies. I talked to people outside of the riot who felt that day was The Storm, it was kind of this apocalyptic utopian moment that could be accomplished through violence. A lot of QAnon believers thought they were the ones to carry that out, by attacking the Capitol."

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