At a signing event for his new book, Fox News host Jesse Watters told Jeffrey Pedersen, a QAnon influencer known online as “intheMatrixxx,” that he “love[s]” him and follows him online, adding that he does “good work” and has “all this information.”
Watters’ admission comes after he previously praised QAnon supporters and then backtracked.
During the April 29 episode of the QAnon-supporting MatrixxxGrooove Show (or MG Show), Pedersen aired a video of an interaction he had with Watters at a book signing event for the Fox News host.
Pedersen has repeatedly promoted QAnon and other misinformation online, like false claims about vaccines and election fraud. And regarding QAnon itself, multiple government agencies have issued internal warnings about the conspiracy theory and its supporters, some of whom have also been tied to violence, including the January 6 insurrection.
While signing a copy of his book for Pedersen, Watters told Pedersen and others around him, “I love intheMatrixxx,” adding, “I follow this guy.” He said that Pedersen’s “got all this information. … You’re very good.” And at the end of the video he told Pedersen, “Keep up the good work. … We’ll be in touch.”
During the show, Pedersen also claimed that Watters later at the event told attendees to “go follow” Pedersen on X (formerly Twitter), getting him “tons of followers after that.”
Pedersen took a victory lap on the show, saying Watters’ praise was “a testament to everybody on the MG Show” and “a testament of what we’re doing, and it really made me feel good.” Pedersen also speculated about whether it meant that “our information gets on Watters’ show.”