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Trending: QAnon and the rabbit hole election

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QAnon and the rabbit hole election

10/10/2020 GMT

BBC World Service - Trending, QAnon and the rabbit hole election

What impact will the QAnon conspiracy theory have on the upcoming US election?

QAnon is an unfounded conspiracy theory that says Donald Trump is fighting a war against a "deep state" of paedophiles. Could this unhinged idea have an impact on the US election?

Millions of Americans are tuning into an alternative US election campaign. This one isn’t full of sobering news about the pandemic, the Supreme Court and the American economy – instead it’s filled with chatter about elite cabals, rumours and allegations of the most vile crimes.

The rabbit hole election is a subterranean campaign taking place online. And there's one conspiracy theory in particular that is spreading widely and is becoming increasingly well-known among voters: QAnon.

At its heart is the completely unfounded claim that Donald Trump is fighting a secret war against a “deep state” of satanic paedophiles. But could this unhinged idea actually have an impact on the upcoming election? We’ve been investigating.

Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Ant  Adeane

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