East Wing chief of staff Stephanie Grisham on Tuesday said she had not discussed the QAnon conspiracy theory with first lady Melania Trump, who has made internet safety a focus of her “Be Best” campaign, but argued Trump broadly opposes anything that would be harmful to children.
“I haven’t talked to her about that specifically, but I think there’s constantly this misperception that it’s about online bullying, which of course gets tied to the president,” Grisham said on MSNBC ahead of Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention later in the evening.
“It’s about online safety, and it’s about teaching children that there are predators out there online and that they need to really watch out who they’re talking to online and what they’re doing,” Grisham added, noting that internet safety has become even more critical for children as they spend more time online.
Asked if she felt the first lady should disavow QAnon, Grisham demurred.
“I would never say what I think she should or shouldn’t do,” Grisham said. “But I think it would be safe to say if there’s anything that would be harmful to children online, she’s going to be against that.”
Administration officials have been pressed in recent weeks over their views on QAnon, a sprawling internet conspiracy theory that, at its most basic, posits President Trump and his allies are working together to expose and arrest an underground cabal of global elites who control the government and run child sex trafficking rings.
The president last week embraced the supporters of the movement, saying he believes they “love our country.” Vice President Pence said he dismissed QAnon “out of hand.”
The conspiracy theory has been blamed for violent incidents, and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have taken action in recent weeks to suspend groups and accounts associated with it. The FBI last year labeled the loose community of believers as a domestic terror threat.