Fox News’ biggest stars have amplified and in some cases openly embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory both on the airwaves and off going back to 2018. As QAnon has gotten more attention recently, network personalities have whitewashed both its links to violence and how unhinged the conspiracy theory truly is.
The QAnon conspiracy theory has been identified by the FBI as a potential domestic terrorism threat. Adherents have committed acts of violence in the name of their beliefs, including the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Fox Corp. properties, which are essential cogs in the pro-Trump Republican propaganda machine, are not immune to QAnon’s growing influence. Personalities from Fox News, Fox Business, and Fox Nation have repeatedly embraced the conspiracy theory, and Fox straight-“news” anchors have minimized the movement’s harm by failing to mention the potential terror threat and other instances of violence connected to it.
The admiration goes both ways -- a QAnon-inspired alleged killer was obsessed with Fox News, frequently posting clips from the network on his social media. On 8chan (now 8kun), “Q” encouraged followers to tune into Sean Hannity’s conspiratorial Fox show.
Here’s a list of the documented overlap between the QAnon conspiracy theory and the top-rated cable news network.
- In September 2022, Fox Nation hired QAnon enthusiast Rosanne Barr to host and produce a comedy special.
- Fox News hosted QAnon-supporting Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano for a friendly interview in July 2022. That same weekend, they also hosted Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who has appeared at campaign events with a Nazi sympathizer and QAnon-linked figures.
- In July 2022, Fox host Tucker Carlson floated the idea that the QAnon conspiracy theory was “created by the feds.”
- During a February 2021 segment, Carlson claimed that there is no evidence that the QAnon conspiracy theory exists.
- Carlson hosted QAnon-supporting former national security adviser Michael Flynn for a friendly interview in November 2021.
- During an October 2021 segment about children receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in a clinical trial, Carlson cited a QAnon-linked lawyer.
- In March 2021, Carlson described Lt. Gen. Russel Honore as “nuttier than anyone affiliated with QAnon.”
- Carlson defended the illegal actions of “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley in March 2021.
- In April 2021, Fox & Friends hosted the QAnon-supporting Maryland Republican lieutenant governor candidate, Gordana Schifanelli.
- Fox News’ Mark Levin defended Rep. Mayra Flores’ (R-TX) promotion of QAnon in July 2022.
- In March 2022, Fox refused to define its relationship with QAnon-linked then-Fox Nation host Lara Logan.
- In June 2021, Fox contributor Lara Trump interviewed a QAnon supporter on her streaming show, The Right View with Lara Trump.
- Fox News contributor Thomas Homan spoke at a June 2021 event featuring QAnon supporters.
- Tucker Carlson defended the conspiracy theory on his January 25, 2021, prime-time show, saying, “If they succeed in controlling what you believe you are no longer a citizen, you are no longer a free man, you are a slave.”
- That same evening, Laura Ingraham said efforts to deradicalize military service members are “absolutely poisonous” and will not lead “to a freer and more united America.”
- The day before Election Day in 2020, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade and contributor Dan Bongino shared a video on Twitter from a major QAnon account which praised Trump.
- In 2020, Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee’s political organization Huck PAC donated to at least five Republican candidates who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory.
- Fox host Lou Dobbs hosted disgraced former Gen. Michael Flynn on December 3, 2020. Flynn is a known supporter of QAnon and a hero to its followers.
- In 2020, three Fox News contributors donated to QAnon supporter Lauren Boebert’s campaign for the House of Representatives.
- In October 2020, Tucker Carlson hosted Noor bin Ladin, a QAnon conspiracy theorist and a niece of Osama Bin Laden, to discuss her support for Trump.
- On August 25, 2020, Fox & Friends First hosted Mary Ann Mendoza, who was scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention later that night. When Mendoza was dropped as a speaker after she was exposed as a QAnon supporter later that day, Fox followed up on the story with less than a minute of coverage.
- Former Fox Nation host Isaiah Washington is an avowed supporter of QAnon. He has also pushed conspiracy theories about COVID-19, 5G networks, Black Lives Matter, and other topics.
- Jesse Watters, co-host of The Five and host of Watters’ World on Fox News, has embraced QAnon twice. On July 25, 2020, Watters praised the movement, saying they’ve “uncovered a lot of great stuff when it comes to Epstein and when it comes to the deep state.” A December 2019 segment on Watters’ World about the conspiracy theory was a huge hit among QAnon supporters. The segment did not feature criticism of the movement by the host, nor did it mention any instances of violence linked to the movement.
- On August 7, 2020, Sean Hannity hosted and praised “up-and-coming” QAnon congressional candidate Lauren Boebert on her primary win in Colorado’s third district.
- In 2018, prime-time host Sean Hannity quote tweeted a large QAnon account. The original tweet contained the QAnon hashtag.
- Fox host Greg Gutfeld laughed while falsely claiming the QAnon movement has not been linked to violence on August 20, 2020.
- On July 12, 2020, Fox & Friends interviewed a Trump supporter wearing a t-shirt with “Q” written on it. Trump later tweeted praise for him.
- On May 22, 2019, Fox & Friends hosted a QAnon conspiracy theorist who regularly posts messages on a bigoted pro-Trump message board on Reddit without noting his online activity.
- In August 2018, Fox & Friends interviewed a QAnon conspiracy theorist who had previously claimed that the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was “fake” and the victims who survived the shooting were “actors.”
- In June 2019, Fox & Friends Weekend interviewed a man wearing a QAnon hat in a diner, to the delight of the movement’s online supporters.
- In a segment on the March 22, 2019, edition of Fox & Friends First, a Fox reporter “cited a major promoter of QAnon,” including their tweet praising Trump.
- In March 2019, “straight news” reporter Kevin Corke tweeted a picture of a coffee cup with the letter Q on it, writing, “My kind of coffee.” later deleted the tweet, but still liked dozens of tweets referencing the conspiracy theory as supporters praised him for his support.
- Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo quote tweeted a QAnon account praising her in January 2020, saying Trump will have a legacy of “real leadership.”
- In July 2020, the president of the New York Police Department’s second-largest union appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto for an interview with a QAnon mug in the background.
- In August 2020, Fox contributor Charlie Hurt retweeted a tweet from a QAnon supporter featuring a video compilation of recent protests and riots in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a white police officer.
- In August 2020, Fox contributor Sara Carter wrote, “LOL Awesome answer” in a quote tweet that featured a video of Trump’s support of QAnon. The quote tweet was from Mike Cernovich, a bigoted rape apologist and “pizzagate” conspiracy theorist who has pushed fake news.
- In December 2018, Carter retweeted praise of her article in a tweet that said, “Your article just got Q’d! . Great job! #WWG1WGA”
- In April 2019, Fox Business host Lou Dobbs quote tweeted the same tweet that contained the hashtag.
On August 19, 2020, when Trump praised QAnon supporters as people who “love this country,” Fox News displayed the chyron “Trump: QAnon People ‘love our country'” without any additional context.
