House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday defended newly elected members of Congress who have previously supported the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon, telling reporters: "Give them an opportunity before you claim what you believe they have done, and what they will do."
The big picture: QAnon's rising role in Republican politics was highlighted this election, with individuals including Reps.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.) winning public office. Both Greene and Boebert have sought to distance themselves from QAnon since entering the national spotlight.
- QAnon's theories purport that President Trump is a political savior and that he's being undermined by a "deep state" cabal of pedophiles and cannibals that includes high-profile Democrats.
- President Trump has declined to denounce QAnon, stating that "these are people that love our country." Vice President Mike Pence has said he dismisses the theory "out of hand."
Worth noting: McCarthy said in June that racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic comments made by Greene were “appalling” and that he had “no tolerance for them.”
Go deeper: QAnon conspiracy theory explodes ahead of the election
