Ron Watkins is one of the most visible members of the conspiracy group QAnon. But is he the actual Q at the head of operations? Wakins says no, but the upcoming HBO documentary Into The Storm is convinced they’ve figured it out. Learn more about Watkins before the documentary series premieres on March 21:
1. What Is QAnon?
QAnon is a discredited far-right conspiracy group that believes an underground cabal of Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic pedophiles in Washington running a global sex trafficking ring — mostly liberal politicians. They also believe the cannibals/pedophiles/satanists plotted against former President Trump, whom they claimed was trying to expose the ring. QAnon also believes that Trump was planning a day of reckoning (“The Storm”) where members of the cabal would be arrested.
Members of QAnon took part of the riots at the United States Capitol on January 6. The siege left five dead, including a Capitol police officer. The rioters said they were acting under the orders of then-President Trump, who had said at a rally minutes earlier that they needed to take back their country.
2. ‘Into The Storm’ Claims He’s QAnon’s Leader
The trailer for HBO’s Into The Storm (watch above) shows a conversation with Watkins regarding rumors that he’s the infamous Q controlling QAnon. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback believes that Watkins is Q, given his involvement with the QAnon-friendly platform 8Chan. “You’re going through a possible list of who Q might be?” Watkins asks in the trailer. “That’s right. You’re on the list,” Hoback responds. “Well, let’s continue then,” Watkins says with a sly smile, before
3. But Watkins Says That He’s Not Q
Prior to the premiere of Into The Storm, Watkins said the allegations that he’s Q are just fake news. “I’ve noticed that the fake news media is FALSELY reporting that I am Q. It is simply not true,” he said in a statement on Telegram, according to Newsweek. “Here are the facts: I am not Q. I’ve never spoken privately with Q. I don’t know who Q is.”
4. Watkins & His Father Founded 8chan
Watkins is the son of 8chan founder Jim Watkins. 8chan is an online platform mostly known for trolling that turned into a breeding ground for QAnon. Members believed that Q would post “QDrops” with coded warnings about the coming “storm.” They repeatedly insisted that the deep state would be “unmasked,” leading to the arrest and execution of the liberal politicians. The younger Watkins was an administrator for 8chan, which is now called 8kun.
5. Donald Trump Retweeted Watkins In Dec. 2020
Former President Donald Trump shared a tweet from Watkins on December 12 shortly after announcing that Attorney General William Barr was resigning. Watkins’ tweet referenced remarks by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, who would replace Barr, made about foreign election interference. Given Watkins’ Dominion conspiracy theories, it was assumed that he was promoting Trump’s repeated claim that Joe Biden was illegitimately elected.
But Trump’s retweet isn’t the first time Watkins has appeared on his account (which was banned in January following the Capitol riots). He shared a video from One America News Network (OAN), the pro-Trump news network, that featured Watkins as a “cyber analyst.”
Into The Storm premieres with back-to-back episodes March 21 at 9:00pm ET on HBO.