Groups that stormed Capitol have AZ roots
QAnon believers, Patriot members active in state
Jake Angeli, in his recognizable fur bonnet with horns, became notorious for his role as part of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
Much of the nation saw him for the first time that day. He became the first person of interest listed by the Metropolitan Police in a list of photos of those involved.
But his demonstrations and those of other militant patriot groups have deep roots in Arizona.
The Arizona Republic explored them in an investigation in 2020, which found that their movement has been motivated, at least partly, by dark and hatefilled beliefs.
The Arizona Republic reviewed thousands of posts, comments, photos and videos from a members-only Facebook page where Patriots developed their beliefs and planned activities over more than two years. The posts contained Islamophobic and racist rhetoric, and followers traded in conspiracies and false information.
The group also dabbled in QAnon, which falsely imagines a child-sex crime ring run by high-level politicians, with Trump on a mission to expose it. About QAnon
Angeli is profiled in a report on QAnon, false flags and conspiracy theories. While there’s no basis in fact, these ideas have helped build community among their followers.
Hate speech in closed settings
Our report documented how online disinformation led members to tumble down the rabbit hole of hate and conspiracy.
Jennifer Harrison and Lesa Antone
The series revealed the rise and eventual collapse of a duo that drove Patriot activity in Arizona.
Extremist influence on the GOP
It also detailed the Patriot movement’s influence within Arizona Republican politics, which has been building for years. That influence has shaped party governance, school policy and life-and-death decisions at the highest levels of state government.
The origins of QAnon-style conspiracy theories
The series also traced the roots of hate and conspiracy in Arizona by profiling the life and posthumous influence of William Cooper, a shortwave radio host who planted the seeds of the QAnon conspiracy theory and died in a hail of bullets outside his compound above Eager, Arizona.