President Trump on Tuesday tagged a Twitter account associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory as he renewed calls to expand voter identification laws.
“We should immediately pass Voter ID … to insure the safety and sanctity of our voting system. Also, Paper Ballots as backup (old fashioned but true!). Thank you!” Trump tweeted.
{mosads}The president tagged an account with a little more than 2,000 followers that has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. The theory, which started on internet message boards, promotes various baseless allegations, including that there is a “deep state” plot against Trump and that Democrats are part of a pedophile cult.
QAnon gained increased attention in 2018 after some attendees of a Trump rally held up posters and cutout letters promoting the theory.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about whether Trump intentionally tagged the account.
Trump has periodically called for stricter voter ID laws, which advocates warn could restrict ballot access in low-income communities, students and people of color.
The president floated the idea at multiple campaign rallies leading up to last year’s midterm elections.
At a rally in Florida, the president claimed that buying groceries require photo ID and therefore voting should require similar standards.
Trump has also as recently as last week spread the false claim that immigrants living illegally in the U.S. vote in large numbers. He has repeatedly blamed his popular vote loss in 2016 on unfounded claims of voter fraud.
Trump’s Tuesday tweet comes amid a renewed sense of urgency from some lawmakers to strengthen election security in the wake of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony, where he warned that Russia and others will try and meddle in U.S. elections.
Trump earlier Tuesday defended Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) amid criticism for blocking election security bills from getting a vote.