JFK Jr. QAnon Conspiracy Alive And Well—And Being Sold On Amazon And Etsy, Despite Bans
Topline
Online retail giants Amazon, eBay and Etsy each have postings for dozens of items for sale that promote the outlandish QAnon conspiracy that the long-dead John F. Kennedy Jr. is alive and planning to serve as Donald Trump’s vice president — despite all three companies pledging to remove QAnon products from their sites.
A QAnon believer walks with a “Trump JFK Jr.” flag in Carson City, Nevada on Jan. 16, 2021. (Photo … [+]
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Key Facts
Listings for flags, mugs, T-shirts, stickers and more with messages such as “TRUMP JFK Jr. 2024 SAVE AMERICA” and “JFK JR. ALIVE AND WELL IN PITTSBURGH” were available Tuesday afternoon, as well as several products including the letter Q and the popular QAnon slogan, “We go one we go all.”
According to various QAnon conspiracies, President John F. Kennedy’s son has been expected to return from beyond the grave as Trump’s vice president either on a 2020 or 2024 ticket, or upon his “reinstatement” to the office.
The wild theory made headlines this week when hundreds of QAnon supporters gathered in Dallas, Texas, fruitlessly awaiting the return of JFK Jr., 22 years after his death at the spot where his father was assassinated.
Representatives for Amazon and eBay did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Etsy declined to comment on specific listings or shops, but said it had taken down several QAnon products flagged by Forbes and was monitoring for similar ones.
Big Number
8,146. That’s the number of days since Kennedy Jr. died when the small plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of Massachusetts on July 16, 1999, killing him, his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister, Lauren Bessette.
Key Background
Amazon and eBay both said they would pull merchandise promoting QAnon in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, which several QAnon members participated in; Etsy banned the sale of QAnon-related items in October 2020. But firms like Amazon and others have struggled to totally enforce those commitments, as vendors create new accounts and use other tactics to avoid detection.
Further Reading
“On the Ground With the QAnon Believers Who Flocked to Dallas for the Grand Return of JFK Jr.” (Rolling Stone)
“QAnon Believers Gather In Dallas Awaiting Return Of Long-Dead JFK Jr.” (Forbes)
“Online merchants linked to QAnon down, but not out, following platform bans” (Reuters)
“EBay Says It Will Pull QAnon Merchandise From Its Site” (Forbes)
“Amazon removes QAnon merchandise from its marketplace” (NBC News)
“Etsy Will Remove All QAnon-Related Items From Its Marketplace” (Insider)
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