Inside the Mind of QAnon

In January 2021, thousands descended on the U.S. Capitol to aid President Donald Trump. Many of those who took part in the events of January 6th believed they were combating a shadowy cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. They, like millions of Americans, believe in the QAnon conspiracy theory. In their new book Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon, Mia Bloom and Sophia Moskalenko examine the rise of QAnon, how it moved from the Internet to in-person activity, and what the role of Covid-19 was in fueling its power.

To discuss the book, New America welcomes the authors of Pastels and Pedophiles, Mia Bloom, a senior fellow with New America’s International Security program and professor at Georgia State University, and Sophia Moskalenko, a psychologist studying mass identity, inter-group conflict, and conspiracy theories and research fellow with the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Group at Georgia State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

The event will be moderated by Candace Rondeaux, who directs New America’s Future Frontlines program, a public intelligence service for next generation security and democratic resilience. She is also a professor of practice and fellow at the Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies and the Center on the Future of War at Arizona State University.

Join the conversation online using #QAnonMind and following @NewAmericaISP.

PARTICIPANTS

Mia Bloom
Co-Author, Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon
Senior Fellow, International Security Program, New America
Professor, Georgia State University

Sophia Moskalenko
Co-Author, Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon
Research Fellow, Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Group, Georgia State University

MODERATOR

Candace Rondeaux
Director, Future Frontlines, New America
Professor of Practices, Arizona State University