House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) denounced the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory as a “dangerous lunacy,” becoming the highest-ranking GOP lawmaker to condemn it.
“QAnon is a dangerous lunacy that should have no place in American politics,” Cheney said in a statement on Thursday.
Cheney’s comment came one day after President Trump told reporters that he doesn’t “know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.”
Cheney, the No. 3 Republican in the House, has previously clashed with Trump on a host of issues, causing high-profile public breaks with the president.
The QAnon conspiracy theory revolves around the idea that Trump is working to expose an elite group of Democrats and media who are running an international child trafficking ring and are controlling the government to try to undermine the president.
“I’ve heard these are people that love our country and they just don’t like seeing it. I don’t know really anything about it other than they do supposedly like me. And they also would like to see problems in these areas … go away,” Trump said.
A number of GOP lawmakers have expressed concerns about QAnon and inflammatory comments made by candidates that have voiced curiosity about and support for the theory. Lawmakers fear it could taint the image of the party and undermine other GOP candidates’ ability to hold onto their seats.
Laura Loomer — who has gained notoriety for her inflammatory remarks about Muslims and support for conspiracy theories — most recently prevailed in a GOP Florida primary this week. That came on the heels of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s win in Georgia last week. Greene has formerly posted videos voicing support for “Q” on YouTube before opting to distance herself from the movement.