In times of chaos and unrest, it is somewhat comforting to know that some things just do not change. Take QAnon theories for example. Over a month after the White House began working under a new President, there remain some who are convinced that the era of President Trump will resume in a few days.
Months after his claims of election fraud went ignored and he was subjected to an ignominious second impeachment, Trump is all set to make a triumphant return to the White House at the beginning of March. Or so the theory goes. A quick perusal of social media platforms shows that this is not an isolated claim—there are many who remain convinced that March 4 is the day to watch out for.
Short of a coup however, we're somewhat baffled about what his supporters expect him to do. After all, whether one believes that the US Presidential election was rigged or not, the US does have a new President in place—one who has (much to Trump's chagrin) had his vote results certified and verified several times.
Officials, however, are not taking any chances. According to reports that quote Adam Smith, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Trump supporters may be planning a second attack on the US Capitol on the 4th of March. To this end, security has been heightened and National Guard troops remain on standby.
A strange coincidence is the rise in the price of suites at the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC around the same time. A Forbes report indicates that prices have been tripled for some of the rooms on the nights of March 3 and 4.
But why March 4? Prior to the ratification of the Twentieth Amendment in 1933, Presidential inaugurations were held on March 4 (unless it was a Sunday). QAnon and the sovereign citizen movement is convinced that they are not subject to a variety of government rules or proceedings. What began as a tax protest movement in 1971 has since evolved to believe that the United States government is illegitimate and that the presidents inaugurated since have been illegitimate.
Now, this is not the first QAnon claim that has left many bewildered. After all, the premise of the movement as a whole is that there are elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in the government as well as in business and the media who are waging a war against President Trump. Over the years QAnon has diversified to include many claims and contradictions that circle around the same premise.
It is unclear where and how Trump fits into this setup. After all, he is a President elected in recent years, and rules were put forth and enforced by his government and applied to all citizens. But then again, these are also some of the same people who thought storming the Capitol and calling for Vice President Mike Pence's execution was a good idea.
