QAnon’s ‘Domino Theory’ Explained: Here’s The Bizarre Scenario That Has Trump Redeemed By The Arizona Audit—And Returning To The White House
Topline
QAnon adherents—who mostly slipped underground following President Joe Biden’s inauguration and a social media crackdown on conspiracy theories—are now galvanized behind the idea that Arizona’s controversial election audit will prove there was fraud, handing the state to former President Donald Trump, and then launching audits in other states that will eventually lead to reversing the election results, and putting Trump back in power.
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Key Facts
This “domino theory” has been endorsed by far right personalities online such as Ben Garrison, a pro-QAnon, conservative cartoonist who was banned by Twitter earlier this year and whose work is a favorite among Trump allies.
Robert Cornero, Jr., one of the most prominent QAnon supporters on fringe social media site Gab, also promoted the the domino theory to his hundreds of thousands of followers this week.
The domino theory is fueled by a series of baseless conspiracy theories connected to the Arizona election audit, including a baseless claim that 40,000 ballots were flown in to Arizona from China and “stuffed” into a box, and another QAnon-fueled theory involving allegations ballots that were individually watermarked.
Trump appeared to amplify the domino conspiracy theory during remarks at Mar-a-Lago last month, claiming he wouldn’t be “surprised” to watch officials uncover “thousands and thousands of votes” in Arizona, and then other states.
The Arizona audit has yet to produce any evidence of fraud, and it stands no chance of overturning the results of the election, a reality even state Senate President Karen Fann (R), one of the audit’s most vocal supporters, has acknowledged.
In a letter to Fann on Monday, the GOP-majority Maricopa County Board of Supervisors called for a stop to the recount, writing it was “time to end this” for the “good of the Senate, for the good of the Country and for the good of the Democratic institutions that define us as Americans.”
Key Background
The GOP-controlled Arizona Senate used its subpoena powers to obtain all 2 million-plus ballots in Maricopa County (including Phoenix), along with voting machines and connected data servers. It then handed it all over to be a firm, Cyber Ninjas, run by a man who has promoted baseless conspiracy theories about the election and who has a connection to controversial Trump ally and QAnon promoter Lin Wood. It has since devolved from there. Even Republicans in Maricopa County have criticized the review as “political theater.” GOP state senators, such as Fann, have insisted the audit is part of an effort to ensure the election was secure. But critics argue the audit was partisan from the beginning, and has been influenced by crazy conspiracy theorists, such as those who believe in QAnon. Wood is among those helping to fund the effort, along with former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who last year attended a meeting in the Oval Office with QAnon fanatics Sidney Powell and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Big Number
10,457. That’s President Joe Biden’s margin of victory in Arizona. The audit involves recounting all of Maricopa County’s 2.1 million ballots by hand. The state has already conducted two separate audits and the results were certified by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.
Crucial Quote
During further remarks at his Mar-a-Lago last month, Trump told the audience to “watch” for other states to conduct reviews that would produce evidence of fraud. After Arizona, he said, “we’ll watch Pennsylvania, and you watch Georgia, then you’re going to watch Michigan and Wisconsin, and you’re watching New Hampshire.” Last week, he also claimed in a statement that the “entire Database of Maricopa County in Arizona has been DELETED!” The former president promoted the claim after GOP-backed auditors first suggested files had been deleted. The auditors backtracked on Tuesday, acknowledging they had found the data in question.
Chief Critic
QAnon adherents think that “if one state flips from [President Joe Biden] to Trump, that will cause others to flip,” Mike Rothschild, author of “The Storm Is Coming,” whose recent book, about QAnon, told Forbes Wednesday, noting it’s a “complete fantasy,” but it’s “what they believe.”
What To Watch For
State senators told CNN the audit is expected to conclude sometime in June. The counting process has been paused until May 24 because Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, where the audit is taking place, is holding high school graduations this week.
Further Reading
Half a Year After Trump’s Defeat, Arizona Republicans Are Recounting the Vote (New York Times)
*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Forbes can be found here ***
