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Matthew N. Hannah, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Politics and Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The long afterlife of QAnon conspiracy theories haunting American politics

A woman touches a QAnon patch on her outfit during a Christian prayer gathering in Washington on May 17, 2026. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

On Election Day in 2024, as voters cast their ballots, Elon Musk posted a campaign music video supporting Donald Trump’s bid for president.

Set to Van Halen’s “Jump,” with a montage of 1980s cultural references and images of Trump in various strongman poses, the video includes a line about “PATRIOTS” in which the “O” turns into a “Q,” a reference to the online conspiracy theory QAnon.

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