Footage has emerged of the ‘smoking gun’ that the makers of a new HBO docu-series claim proves their theory that Ron Watkins – the son of 8chan founder Jim Watkins – is the man behind Q.
In an interview during the sixth and final episode of Q: Into The Storm, Ron makes an apparent slip-up by seeming to admit to being an active user of the main QAnon forum – something he had previously denied.
The conspiracy theorist, after briefly discussing his role in spreading unproved claims of voter fraud following the 2020 US election, says, ‘It was basically three years of intelligence training, teaching normies how to do intelligence work.
‘It was basically what I was doing anonymously before,’ he continues, before quickly adding: ‘But never as Q.’
At this point he gives a knowing smile before erupting in laughter and backtracking to again deny that he is Q: ‘No, never as Q, I promise. Because I am not Q and I never was.’
It is not clear from where Ron gave the interview but he was recently known to be living in Japan. Little is known about him, including his age.
In an interview during the sixth and final episode of Q: Into The Storm, Ron Watkins (left) makes an apparent slip-up by seeming to admit to being an active user of the main QAnon forum – something he had previously denied. Pictured right is HBO filmmaker Cullen Holback
Holback erupts with laughter after the revelation. In a voiceover, he suggests that the moment proves Ron is Q
Q: Into The Storm is a six-part series that first aired on HBO Max on March 21.
8chan has now been renamed 8kun, and the forum Ron apparently admits to actively posting on during the docu-series is called ‘8kun threads Pol and research’.
This is the main venue through which Q supposedly communicates with his followers through so-called ‘Q drops’, which users immediately reply to with ‘analysis’ of what they may mean.
Ron was apparently admitting to anonymously directing this analysis – even though he has previously claimed to not interfere with content on the site beyond his responsibilities as an administrator.
In a voiceover, filmmaker Cullen Holback suggests that this suspicious discrepancy proved his theory that Ron is Q, the supposedly anonymous government insider leading a charge to help former president Donald Trump fight a ‘deep state’ of Satan-worshiping pedophiles.
‘See that smile, Ron had slipped up, he knew it and I knew it – after three tireless years of cat and mouse,’ Holback says, in a reference to how long it took him to research the documentary.
Throughout the HBO series, Holback presents his evidence for Ron being Q, which mainly consists of a series of inconsistencies in his responses to questions about his knowledge of QAnon.
This includes in one part of the documentary claiming to have a detailed understanding of Q’s motivations and inner circle, before later insisting he knows nothing about the mysterious figure.
In addition, Holback points to Ron and his father Jim’s hobby of collecting luxury watches, and notes that Q has been known to post pictures of expensive-looking watches and pens in a bid to prove that he’s in secure locations like Camp David.
Ron has repeatedly denied being Q, and posted on encrypted messaging app Telegram before the series’ first episode: ‘I am not Q. I’ve never spoken privately with Q. I don’t know who Q is.’
8chan has now been renamed 8kun, and the forum Ron apparently admits to actively posting on during the docu-series is called ‘8kun threads Pol and research’
Throughout the HBO series, Holback presents his evidence for Ron (pictured) being Q, which mainly consists of a series of inconsistencies in his responses to questions about his knowledge of QAnon
8chan was originally created by Fredrick Brennan but he quit after Watkins refused to remove the racist manifesto of the Christchurch, New Zealand, shooter, in 2018.
QAnon began as a marginalized theory contained to the dark corners of the internet but it exploded under Donald Trump’s presidency and was particularly bolstered by the unproven theory that widespread voter fraud won the election for Biden amid widespread conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The premise of QAnon is that there is a deep state organization of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who Trump was fighting back against throughout his presidency.
Many of the January 6 Capitol rioters are QAnon theorists.
The site is hosted on servers in Manila, in the Philippines, and is safe from the censorship that Trump fans complain about on western social media.
8chan’s founder Frederick Brennan has been trying for years to get the site taken offline, claiming it is now out of control and dangerous.
He previously named either Ron or Jim as Q, saying in a June 2020 interview: ‘I definitely, definitely, 100 percent believe that Q either knows Jim or Ron Watkins, or was hired by Jim or Ron Watkins.’
Ron’s father is Jim Watkins (left). He now owns 8chan, now known as 8Kun, the online messaging board where QAnon took its roots. Frederick Brennan (right) founded 8chan and he quit in 2018 as he watched it become increasingly right-wing. He has previously said that Jim Watkins or his son is Q
Many of the Capitol rioters were QAnon followers, including Douglas Jensen, who is shown storming the Capitol wit h a Q shirt on
Speaking to ABC, he added that Watkins, if he wanted, could ‘send ”Q” a direct message and get into private contact with basically the leader of this political cult that everybody wants to hear from right now.’
Only Jim and Ron have verified ‘Q’s posts on 8chan, which has fueled speculation that one of them is the leader.
The posts have also appeared on 4Chan, the less extreme version of the site.
Many of the rioters from the January 6 attack on the US Capitol were QAnon followers and some even wore ‘Q’ branded clothing.
The rioters were irate and incredulous when Trump lost the election, and deduce that the only explanation for it was that he is being victimized by a secret organization of powerful pedophiles and child traffickers who had arranged widespread voter fraud to secure the election for Biden.
Among the wild theories tied to QAnon is Frazzledrip – a far-fetched theory that claims there is a video of Hillary Clinton and her former aide Huma Abedin mutilating a young girl and drinking her blood as part of a satanic ritual.
QAnon also believes the Pizzagate theory – that a pizzeria in Washington DC was being used by powerful politicians and leaders to sexually traffic children.
None of the theories have ever been supported by any evidence.
They were at first considered harmless, marginalized to a corner of the internet, but under Trump’s presidency they gained steam and have now infiltrated the real world of politics.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said in the past that she believes some of what QAnon teaches, and some voters factored it in when deciding how to cast their ballots this year.
Watkins lived with his father in the Philippines in the early 2000s.
Jake Angeli was another prominent figure in the Capitol riot. He calls himself a QAnon Shaman
Little is known about Ron Watkins. He is believed to be living in Japan but it’s unclear where and it’s also unclear how old he is
This is an example of the kind of post left on 8chan by ‘Q’. The account has never been claimed
Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said in the past she believes some QAnon theories
It’s believed he is now living in Japan but it’s unclear where. It is also unclear how old he is.
Qanon took its roots after President Trump won the 2016 election. In 2017, the posts – known as Qdrops – started appearing online.
They claimed that he was fighting back against a ‘deep state’ network of pedophiles and that the world had no idea what was really going in within the highest levels of Washington power.
‘Q’ claimed to be a military source with privileged information on the matter.
They never revealed their identity, nor did they give proof for any of what they were claiming.
But as Trump waged war on Democrats in Washington and as he fought endless battles with the mainstream media, the theories – which once seemed far-fetched – started gaining sympathy.
In January, the theory and those who support it were deemed terror risks.
HOW QANON STARTED IN THE CORNERS OF THE DARK WEB AND EXPLODED UNDER TRUMP
QAnon exploded in the final months of Donald Trump’s presidency, bolstered by the unproven theory that widespread voter fraud won the election for Biden amid widespread conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic.
It had been gradually gathering steam throughout Trump’s presidency after being founded in 2017 or thereabouts.
It started with a few posts that had been put on 4Chan, by Q, that were picked up on and promoted.
Q claimed to be a high ranking military official with knowledge of what Trump was up against – a secret ring of pedophiles and child sex traffickers.
Trump never endorsed the movement, although he is its hero.
He has, in the past, described some of its followers as ‘people who love our country.’
Facebook and Twitter have taken down or restricted countless QAnon posts which only feeds supporters’ believes that big tech is also in bed with the pedophile ring.
At one time, the conspiracy theorist set their sights on the Robert Mueller Russia probe.
They believe that it was a cover for a bigger investigation into the pedophile ring.
When Mueller’s investigation concluded to no avail other than clearing Trump of wrongdoing, QAnon’s focus shifted.
Jim Watkins attended the January 6 riot and took the filmmaker with him. It’s unclear whether or not Ron was there.