Sen. Lindsey Graham condemns QAnon as crazy; Republican calls movement ‘very much a threat’

Sen. Lindsey Graham denounced the QAnon conspiracy theory movement as deranged and dangerous in recent interview conducted with the South Carolina Republican released Thursday.

“QAnon is bats–t crazy. Crazy stuff. Inspiring people to violence,” Mr. Graham said on “Good Luck America,” a show produced by Snapchat for its social media service.

“I think it is a platform that plays off people’s fears, that compels them to do things they normally wouldn’t do. And it’s very much a threat,” Mr. Graham said about QAnon.

In denouncing QAnon, a hodgepodge of baseless far-right conspiracy theories, Mr. Graham joined a growing list of prominent lawmakers to raise concerns about its adherents recently.

President Trump expressed his appreciation to QAnon believers during a press briefing on Aug. 19, but he denied knowing much about them besides they support his administration.

Several members of Congress have strongly condemned QAnon in the days since, and Mr. Graham is now among the latest from the president’s own party to consider himself among them.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming denounced QAnon last week as “dangerous lunacy,” and Vice President Mike Pence later said he dismisses it out of hand.

More recently, Reps. Tom Malinowski, New Jersey Democrat, and Denver Riggleman, Virginia Republican, introduced a congressional resolution formally condemning QAnon on Tuesday.

“QAnon and the conspiracy theories it promotes are a danger and a threat that has no place in our country’s politics,” Mr. Riggleman said when the resolution was introduced. “I condemn this movement and urge all Americans to join me in taking this step to exclude them and other extreme conspiracy theories from the national discourse.”