What Happens When the Predictions Fail?

Every cult leader worth their salt knows that they can proclaim the end of times or some calamitous event is coming — but never, ever set a specific date for "The End" to happen. It will most certainly deflate all but your most ardent followers. This has happened in the past. People assemble at the specified place waiting the arrival of "the mother ship" and or the end of the world, and dang — the sun comes up tomorrow! Explain that. And there are those that do try and unbelievably succeed.

This is a bit of what QAnon followers are facing now that, on Jan. 20, President Trump did not "pull the rabbit out of his hat" and remain president as it was predicted. Now what?

This, then, is part of the narrative of this podcast: "With Trump Gone, What's Next For QAnon?" I certainly am not saying this is the end of QAnon. It will evolve as it has already to encompass many other conspiracy theories, many surrounding the coronavirus and vaccines. Will the violent element stick with it or spin off to "dark sites" I mentioned in a previous podcast. 

Here's the description of the linked podcast above: 

"'Washington Post'" reporter Craig Timberg suggests some in the QAnon movement will become even more extreme now that Trump, their 'messiah,' has left office. 'There is a real danger that what we'll see is a somewhat smaller but maybe more fervent and maybe more hateful and maybe more stealthy remnant that remains a force in our political life for years to come,' Timberg says. We talk about the impact of Trump's ban from social media, the inception of the conspiracy theory/extremist group, and how the movement is responding to a new administration."