Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have found a new and unlikely enemy in the freed Jan. 6 Capitol riot defendants.
The rift was laid bare this week after Enrique Tarrio and Joe Biggs, the former Proud Boys leaders who had their sentences commuted by President Donald Trump, suggested traveling to the nation’s capital to protest the FBI.
The suggested call to action came in response to the FBI’s recent promotion of Steve Jensen, an agency veteran who played a key role in the Capitol riot investigations. The move by pro-Trump FBI Director Kash Patel, an adored figure among QAnon fans, has stirred anger among many of the president’s supporters.
“Maybe J6ers might have to protest outside of @FBIWFO and sit there until he [Jensen] gets fired or we get a meeting with @FBIDirectorKash and @FBIDDBongino,” Tarrio wrote. “I’m getting a little tired of using twitter to advocate. Action seems to be required. J6ers chime in below…”
Biggs quickly responded in favor of Tarrio’s suggestion by questioning whether it was “time to go to DC again.”
“Occupy FBI?” Biggs wrote.
The remarks from the pair appeared to outrage some QAnon adherents, who argued that Biggs and Tarrio were part of a clandestine effort to frame Trump supporters as violent, and for whom Patel is a trusted figure whose motives are not to be questioned.
Not long after, Biggs’ account was suspended from X. Although the social media platform has not publicly stated why, Tarrio insinuated that QAnon fans engaged in a mass-reporting campaign against Biggs.
At least one QAnon promoter, known on X as @Redpill_Pusher, celebrated Biggs’ removal. The user even went so far as to implicate Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who is normally seen in a positive light among the majority QAnon adherents.
Tarrio came to Biggs’ defense soon after, accusing the conspiracy theorists of advocating for censorship.
“Oh look surprise… The Qanon community championing for censorship,” Tarrio said. “These people go after heroes like @GenFlynn and @RogerJStoneJr. And now they target J6ers. They were never MAGA.”
The Proud Boys leader went on to describe the QAnon movement as a “psyop” designed “to make people stupid and stay at home.”
“Complacent and docile exactly how the left wants you… There is no Q,” he added. “It’s just us… We’re all that’s left…”
While Tarrio claimed Q created complacency, many Capitol rioters were QAnon believers, briefly allied with groups like the Proud Boys.
Veiled threats were even exchanged between Tarrio and another QAnon advocate on X known as “Shadygrooove.” After one user described the QAnon fans as “scumbags,” Tarrio said he hoped “to meet them at some point.”
In response, Shadygrooove said: “You can meet me anytime snub nose. You’ll encounter a nice surprise.”
“We don’t play where I live,” they added. “Come on over.
Whether Tarrio, Biggs, or others opposed to Jensen’s promotion will once again descend on Washington, D.C. remains to be seen.
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