The long afterlife of QAnon conspiracy theories haunting American politics

A woman touches a QAnon patch on her outfit during a Christian prayer gathering in Washington on May 17, 2026. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson On Election Day in 2024, as voters cast their ballots, Elon Musk posted a campaign music video supporting Donald Trump’s bid for president. Set to Van Halen’s “Jump,” with a montage of 1980s cultural references and images of Trump in various strongman poses, the video includes a line about “PATRIOTS” in which the “O” turns into a “Q,” a reference to…