Over the past few days, caravans filled with President Donald Trump’s supporters have occupied highways, bridges, and streets across the United States in antagonistic displays of support for the incumbent president. Now it appears that some of the organizers behind the pro-Trump caravans have ties to the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory.
According to HuffPost, dozens of the pro-Trump caravans and convoys across the country were coordinated by MAGA Drag the Interstate, a self-professed “grassroots assemblage of patriots from across the United States who are tired of seeing our Country attacked and slandered by violent and seditious radicals, and we are going to make our voices heard.” The group has been organizing “rolling rallies” and caravans since September 2020 that emphasize what they call “old-fashioned American patriotism.”
“We stand ready to defend all lives and uphold the relentless pursuit of Liberty and Freedom,” the group declared in its mission statement. “We are The People. We will not be silent any longer.”
The HuffPost report went on to reveal that “at least 18” of the event organizers across 14 states have shown open support for QAnon on social media. This includes the group’s founder, Keith Lee, who was a vehement supporter of the conspiracy theory on social media before his account was suspended.
QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory turned virtual cult that claims a cabal of elite pedophiles made up of Hollywood actors, Democrats, and other high-ranking officials is behind a global child sex-trafficking ring. The group asserts that Trump is currently fighting the cabal and is planning a day of reckoning known as “The Storm.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation has labeled the movement a “potential domestic terror threat.”
MAGA Drag the Interstate was behind the group of Trump supporters who shut down the Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge in New York, the pro-Trump caravan that attempted to intimidate voters in a predominantly Black area of Fort Worth, Texas, and the group of trucks adorned with Trump signs and American flags that surrounded a Joe Biden campaign bus in Texas and attempted to “run it off the road.” The latter incident is currently being investigated by the FBI.
Trump later retweeted a video of the incident:
I LOVE TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/EP7P3AvE8L
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2020
On Nov. 1, Trump suggested that the FBI should not investigate the matter, tweeting, “In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong.”
It should be noted that the MAGA Drag the Interstate’s Facebook and Twitter accounts have been suspended. However, they remain active on Instagram, where they addressed the recent social media bans.
“Our accounts are being permanently banned across different social media sites,” the group’s latest post read. “We will not be silenced. Be sure to continue building your network of patriots. We are not done yet.”
On Nov. 1, Trump suggested that the FBI should not investigate the matter, tweeting, “In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong.”
This story is FALSE. They did nothing wrong. But the ANTIFA Anarchists, Rioters and Looters, who have caused so much harm and destruction in Democrat run cities, are being seriously looked at! https://t.co/3pmbMllPWS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2020
It should be noted that the MAGA Drag the Interstate’s Facebook and Twitter accounts have been suspended. However, they remain active on Instagram, where they addressed the recent social media bans. (Note: Instagram is owned by Facebook.)
“Our accounts are being permanently banned across different social media sites,” the group’s latest post read. “We will not be silenced. Be sure to continue building your network of patriots. We are not done yet.”
