Trust the Plan

‘Detailed and impeccably researched. Eye-opening' GUARDIAN ‘Punchy and well-reported. Sommer is the perfect person to tell this story' NEW YORK TIMES 'The expert on America’s right-wing fringe … With kidnappings, murders, and Satanic rituals, this is a story so bizarre, only Will Sommer could report it’ Atlantic For the followers of QAnon, the idea that Donald Trump was anointed by God to stop a depraved deep state government that sexually abuses, kills and eats children is an unquestionable fact. But how did a conspiracy theory from the dark side of the internet convince millions across the world to believe the unbelievable? Who are these people? And more importantly, what do they want? Investigative journalist Will Sommer dives head-first into QAnon: the great American conspiracy with global consequences. With first-hand access to leading figures in the Q movement, Sommer examines how the internet has radicalised politics, threatened democracy, and inspired insurrection and assassination, to show how we got here and how we can chart a path out.

‘Detailed and impeccably researched. Eye-opening' GUARDIAN ‘Punchy and well-reported. Sommer is the perfect person to tell this story' NEW YORK TIMES 'The expert on America’s right-wing fringe … With kidnappings, murders, and Satanic rituals, this is a story so bizarre, only Will Sommer could report it’ Atlantic For the followers of QAnon, the idea that Donald Trump was anointed by God to stop a depraved deep state government that sexually abuses, kills and eats children is an unquestionable fact. But how did a conspiracy theory from the dark side of the internet convince millions across the world to believe the unbelievable? Who are these people? And more importantly, what do they want? Investigative journalist Will Sommer dives head-first into QAnon: the great American conspiracy with global consequences. With first-hand access to leading figures in the Q movement, Sommer examines how the internet has radicalised politics, threatened democracy, and inspired insurrection and assassination, to show how we got here and how we can chart a path out.

How did a conspiracy theory reshape global politics? How did it tear families apart, inspire an insurrection and convince millions that a shadowy cabal was hellbent on eating children, and only Donald Trump could stop them? On the 6th of January, 2021 thousands of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol. Their banners read, Trust the Plan, a reference to an alarming conspiracy theory that had gained unstoppable momentum over the last four years: these were followers of QAnon. Decoding online clues from a mysterious figure - who has claimed to be a high-level government insider - QAnon adherents believe that Donald Trump has been anointed by God to stop a depraved deep state government, that sexually abuse, kill, and eat children. But QAnon has also become a broad church of out-there beliefs, offering a welcoming community to anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, eugenicists and white nationalists. With first hand access to the leading figures in the movement, investigative journalist Will Sommer unpacks the bizarre story of how a post from one of the darkest corners of the internet, became a belief system for millions; how politicians cozied up to extremists; how an unwavering trust in these ideas tore apart families, caused a mafia boss's assassination, and threatened democracy. Trust the Plan is a timely and essential look on how the internet radicalised our politics, and how millions were convinced to believe the unbelievable.

How did a conspiracy theory reshape global politics? How did it tear families apart, inspire an insurrection and convince millions that a shadowy cabal was hellbent on eating children, and only Donald Trump could stop them? On the 6th of January, 2021 thousands of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol. Their banners read, Trust the Plan, a reference to an alarming conspiracy theory that had gained unstoppable momentum over the last four years: these were followers of QAnon. Decoding online clues from a mysterious figure - who has claimed to be a high-level government insider - QAnon adherents believe that Donald Trump has been anointed by God to stop a depraved deep state government, that sexually abuse, kill, and eat children. But QAnon has also become a broad church of out-there beliefs, offering a welcoming community to anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, eugenicists and white nationalists. With first hand access to the leading figures in the movement, investigative journalist Will Sommer unpacks the bizarre story of how a post from one of the darkest corners of the internet, became a belief system for millions; how politicians cozied up to extremists; how an unwavering trust in these ideas tore apart families, caused a mafia boss's assassination, and threatened democracy. Trust the Plan is a timely and essential look on how the internet radicalised our politics, and how millions were convinced to believe the unbelievable.