AP: “For years, legions of QAnon conspiracy theory adherents encouraged one another to ‘trust the plan’ as they waited for the day when President Donald Trump would orchestrate mass arrests, military tribunals and executions of his Satan-worshipping, child-sacrificing enemies. Keeping the faith wasn’t easy when Inauguration Day didn’t usher in ‘The Storm,’ the apocalyptic reckoning that they have believed was coming for prominent Democrats and Trump’s ‘deep state’ foes. QAnon followers grappled with anger, confusion and disappointment Wednesday as President Joe Biden was sworn into office. Some believers found a way to twist the conspiracy theory’s convoluted narrative to fit their belief that Biden’s victory was an illusion and that Trump would secure a second term in office. Others clung to the notion that Trump will remain a ‘shadow president’ during Biden’s term. Some even floated the idea that the inauguration ceremony was computer-generated or that Biden himself could be the mysterious ‘Q,’ who is purportedly a government insider posting cryptic clues about the conspiracy.”

“For many others, however, Trump’s departure sowed doubt. ‘I am so scared right now, I really feel nothing is going to happen now,” one poster wrote on a Telegram channel popular with QAnon believers. ‘I’m just devastated.’ Mike Rothschild, author of a forthcoming book on QAnon called ‘The Storm is Upon Us,’ said it’s too early to gauge whether the wave of disillusionment that swept through the QAnon ranks Wednesday is a turning point or a fleeting setback for the movement. On Wednesday, as it became obvious that Biden’s inauguration would proceed, many QAnon message boards and online groups were bombarded by hecklers and trolls making fun of the conspiracy. Some longtime QAnon posters said they planned to step away from social media, if only temporarily. ‘Trump has said, ‘THE BEST IS YET TO COME.’ I’m not giving up,’ Telegram user Qtah wrote in an announcement to his 30,000 subscribers that he was taking a social media break.”