‘Error In Judgement’: Hawaii GOP Official Resigns After Defending QAnon Believers On Party Account
Topline
The vice chair of communications for the Hawaii Republican Party resigned Sunday in a Facebook post after the party’s Twitter account posted—then deleted—a strange series of tweets praising QAnon supporters, claiming they were “motivated by a sincere and deep love for America.”
A protester screams “Freedom” inside the Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached by a mob … [+]
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Key Facts
“The discussion of the Q-Conspiracy was an error of judgement, and should not reflect upon the leadership or the members of the Republican Party of Hawaii,” Edwin Boyette said in a resignation letter posted to his Facebook, adding, “The responsibility for that discussion and that error is mine and and mine alone.”
The Hawaii GOP drew criticism after it posted a string of tweets defending supporters of the unhinged conspiracy theory—whose followers were part of the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6—saying they should “not be ridiculed” for supporting “Q fiction.”
“People who followed Q don’t deserve mockery, the world is a complex place,” the thread read, before it was deleted Sunday afternoon.
The post described the origins of QAnon, linking to an old message board post about the conspiracy theory, and blamed the mainstream media for giving it credibility.
Boyette did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment Monday.
Tangent
Boyette’s personal Facebook is littered with posts similar to the messages the Hawaii GOP account shared Saturday. “While I am politely critical of theories and speculation emerging from ‘Q’ enthusiasts,” Boyette wrote in one post on January 19, “I believe it is detestable that people have been targeted, de-platformed, or labeled as Anti-American for entertaining theories.”
Chief Critic
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), one of the few Republicans who has denounced QAnon in harsh terms, blasted the Hawaii GOP for defending the conspiracy theory’s believers. “Allow me to edit please,” Kinzinger said, linking to one of the party’s since-deleted tweets about QAnon. “‘We should make it abundantly clear, Q is false, we never should have allowed it to spread, and the attack on the Capitol was the worst day in America in recent memory and we denounce it.’ Try that instead.”
Surprising Fact
Last year, the Hawaii GOP account posted a video of a congressional candidate reciting a QAnon pledge.
Key Background
Many of the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6 were radicalized on far-right message boards where the QAnon conspiracy theory thrived. Images from the rally show many Trump supporters dressed in “Q” merchandise and some QAnon influencers have since been identified as being among those in the mob, including Jacob Chansley, the horned man whose image went viral. Chansley is known as the “QAnon Shaman” online. He has been charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct.
Further Reading
Hawaii Republican Party Deletes Tweets Defending QAnon Believers After Backlash (Forbes)
‘We All Got Played’: QAnon Followers Implode After Big Moment Never Comes (Forbes)
The Texas GOP’s new slogan echoes a conspiracy group. Its chair says there’s no connection. (Texas Tribune)
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