17 Republicans Vote Against a Resolution Condemning Antisemitic QAnon
The House of Representatives voted on a resolution condemning QAnon, an antisemitic pro-Trump conspiracy theory. The resolution’s text included a clear articulation of QAnon’s antisemitism: “QAnon conspiracy theories are fanning the flames as antisemitism is on the rise in the United States and around the world.” It also noted that the FBI declared QAnon a potential domestic terror threat in 2019.
17 Republicans voted against the resolution:
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX)
Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX)
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL)
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX)
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA)
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC)
Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA)
Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX)
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC)
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA)
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI)
Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL)
This is not the first time Reps. Brooks and Burgess have voted against resolutions condemning antisemitism. In 2019, they joined 21 other Republicans in voting against a resolution condemning antisemitism and Islamophobia. Brooks has his own history of antisemitism, as does Rep. Gosar, who also voted against condemning QAnon.
At its core, QAnon is an antisemitic conspiracy theory. It originated on the right-wing extremist message board 4chan, when an anonymous poster named “Q” claimed to have insider knowledge of high-level government plans. The conspiracy’s basic premise is that Donald Trump is secretly executing an ingenious plan to take down the “deep state” by ridding the government and media of his enemies, who, according to QAnon believers, are pedophiles trafficking children for sex and to use their blood, George Soros, elites in Hollywood, and a similar vague cast of characters.
Several Jewish organizations spoke out against the members of Congress who declined to condemn QAnon:
“Today, 17 members of the Republican Party took yet another step in mainstreaming QAnon by voting no on a simple resolution condemning the antisemitic conspiracy theory. QAnon is the same set of age-old, antisemitic tropes that have been used against Jews for hundreds of years, just repackaged for the 21st Century. The conspiracy theory is, at its core, a modern-day blood libel — and 56% of Republican voters believe at least part of the libel is true. Instead of disavowing this dangerous conspiracy theory and relegating it to the fringes of its base, the Republican Party has increasingly embraced QAnon. In 2020, the GOP has outright courted QAnon believers’ votes and endorsed QAnon-supporting candidates — 20 of whom won Republican congressional primaries. As today’s vote made clear, regardless of how those 20 candidates fare in November, QAnon already has defenders in Congress.”
- Emily Mayer, Political Director at IfNotNow
“It’s astounding that 17 House Republicans voted against condemning a fundamentally antisemitic conspiracy theory just days after President Trump refused to condemn a white supremacist group on the national debate stage. Despite the FBI declaring QAnon a potential domestic terror threat, Trump and his GOP enablers have repeatedly signaled their support for this dangerous conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories about shadowy global puppet masters have been used to stir up fear and violence against Jewish people for centuries – including the Tree of Life massacre in 2018 – and the Republican Party’s continued mainstreaming of QAnon will only make Jewish Americans and other communities targeted by white nationalism less safe. From Trump's shout-out to the Proud Boys on the debate stage to recent reports of DHS staff enabling white supremacist terror groups to today's vote, it is all too clear that antisemitism, white nationalism, and conspiracy theories aren’t just rhetoric – they’re the doctrine of Trumpism. Jewish Americans and all communities targeted by white nationalists must join together in rejecting politicians who try to manufacture fear and division for political gain and build a country where all of us are safe.”
- Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action