President Donald Trump was finally asked about QAnon, the widespread but highly-dangerous extremist satanic conspiracy theory cult that has grown into millions of followers around the world. Feigning ignorance, Trump essentially endorsed the movement.

A reporter told him that at the center of the movement is the belief that Trump is “secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals. Does that sound like something you are behind?”

“Well I don’t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much,” Trump replied. “Which I appreciate. But I don’t know much about the movement.”

Trump made a similar statement in early 2016 when asked if he would disavow the KKK.

He then tried to paint QAnon supporters as heroes and patriots.

“I’ve heard these are people that love our country and they just don’t like seeing it. So I don’t know really anything about it other than they do supposedly like me and they also would like to see problems in these areas, like especially in the areas we’re talking about, go away.”

Trump on Qanon: I heard these are people who love our country pic.twitter.com/PphJQHJ0Am

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 19, 2020

Trump repeatedly has retweeted QAnon supporters and their beliefs.

!!! Trump is told that QAnon believes he’s saving the world from a secret satanic cult of cannibals and pedophiles. He says, “Well, I haven’t heard that. But uh, is that supposed to be a bad thing? Or a good thing? If I can help save the world from problems…”

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 19, 2020

Travis View, an expert on the cult, said in an interview with Salon last year that “QAnon is based upon the idea that there is a worldwide cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who rule the world, essentially, and they control everything.”

“They control politicians, and they control the media. They control Hollywood, and they cover up their existence, essentially. And they would have continued ruling the world, were it not for the election of President Donald Trump.”

“Now, Donald Trump in this conspiracy theory knows all about this evil cabal’s wrongdoing,” View continued. “But one of the reasons that Donald Trump was elected was to put an end to them, basically. And now we would be ignorant of this behind-the-scenes battle of Donald Trump and the U.S. military — that everyone backs him and the evil cabal — were it not for ‘Q.’ And what ‘Q’ is — is basically a poster on 4chan, who later moved to 8chan, who reveals details about this secret behind-the-scenes battle, and also secrets about what the cabal is doing and also the mass sort of upcoming arrest events through these posts.”

Trump was slammed for his endorsement:

Last month, the West Point Combating Terrorism Center published a study documenting at least 5 criminal cases where this conspiracy theory has been linked to real world violence, including terrorism charges. https://t.co/5cRfvo6jHh https://t.co/PgTY29AeHZ

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) August 19, 2020

This QAnon answer is a fucking disgrace. It’s a death cult. The FBI identified QAnon as a violent domestic terrorism threat and Trump is pretending not to know what it is while absolutely encouraging them and incentivizing more insane behavior.

— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) August 19, 2020

There’s the outright endorsement. 🤮 https://t.co/iXLb4GOzai

— Jesse Damiani (@JesseDamiani) August 19, 2020

This is going to be a huge validation for QAnon believers. I wish the reporter had also mentioned the results of QAnon belief: the child kidnappings, the harassment and death threats, the murders, the terrorism, the estranged families. https://t.co/9UZnmMDRFN

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) August 19, 2020

Trump refuses to denounce one of the most toxic and dangerous conspiracies in America. He embraces QAnon’s support for him. He was told part of their belief system and he didn’t reject it. This is the leader of the Republican Party.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 19, 2020

QAnon has been designated as a domestic terrorism threat by the FBI. But they really, really like Trump… https://t.co/FYiukxwnt3

— Andrea R MD (@AndreaR9Md) August 19, 2020

Looking good, GOP!
(actually this is not funny, not at all. It’s insane. And sad. And dangerous.) https://t.co/M4KAvW8thS

— Amy W. Hawthorne (@awhawth) August 19, 2020

Trump is asked to shed light on his thoughts about about the lunatic QAnon conspiracy theory. Instead of denouncing it, he says, “I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.”

“I’ve heard these are people who love our country,” he adds, coming close to an endorsement pic.twitter.com/gcvHvuqzIa

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 19, 2020

Donald Trump essentially gives his blessing to qanon pic.twitter.com/1DnkJJ13UE

— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) August 19, 2020

In a typically blunt column for the Daily Beast, conservative campaign consultant Rick Wilson hammered Donald Trump for both his claim to wield “total authority” and for inciting his most rabid followers to hit the streets and protest against Democratic governors who are attempting the stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

According to Wilson, “Donald Trump fired the first shots in the COVID Civil War this week, a modern-day Jefferson Davis of the Pro-Plague States of America sending his opening salvo from Fort Twitter at Democratic governors who dared to question if it wasn’t just a wee bit early to end the stay-at-home orders in states still far to the left of the peak. He started the week with claims of ‘total authority’ and then cried about a supposed mutiny by mouthy state leaders. By Friday, he was up to calls to ‘liberate’ states. 

According to the conservative, Trump lit the fuse and his biggest boosters — Fox News and his Facebook mob — did the rest encouraging the public to cause a ruckus.

“First of all, you should understand that none of this—zero, zip, nada —is organic. None of this is real. Every bit of it is being pushed on Trump’s behalf via the twin modalities of our doom: Fox and Facebook,” he wrote. “The crowds showing up for these ‘liberation rallies’ are lowing cattle, led down a chute to be fed or slaughtered, depending on the day. Their ignorance of their own state as philosophical zombies whose lives Trump is literally willing to sacrifice for a tiny bump in the stock market is breathtaking. Dying for a second-order economic effect will show the libs, right?”

“He wants his rebellion because it feeds into his brand of transgression and he believes it will benefit him politically; Donald Trump’s never tried to liberate a damn thing in his life except for banks from their money, porn stars from their panties, and rubes from their votes,” Wilson continued. “Let’s be clear about the things he’s going to do and the risks he is willing to take with the American people. Trump is telling us bluntly and plainly that he will stoke civil unrest to find a political pathway out of a galactic-scale fuck-up of his own making. He’s willing to let a disease that’s already killed 33,000 Americans due to his inaction and dishonesty spread further, faster, and more widely.”

Related: Former DOJ Official: Trump’s ‘Liberate’ Tweets ‘Incite Insurrection’ – and That’s ‘Illegal’

Explaining that Trump knows his rabid base will run with any “crazy idea” he puts their heads, Wilson stated that the president is risking their lives by putting them at risk of contracting the coronavirus to fulfill his own needs — and that he doesn’t care.

“Many of the people at his ‘liberation’ rallies may well get or spread COVID-19, just when the country’s continued diligence and caution about flattening the curve through social distancing is most vital. These engineered protests are taking resources that first responders desperately need to respond to the crisis, not Trump’s crisis actors. The one person who won’t pay a price? Donald Trump,” he wrote before concluding, “Immune to political pressure, unable to process moral responsibility, and unwilling to put anything above his raw, raging ego and his boundless desire to hold power, he’ll keep badgering his base to start the COVID Civil War, one tweet at a time.”

You can read more here (subscription required).

Related: Internet Accuses Trump of ‘Sedition’ and ‘Fomenting Insurrection’ Amid His Calls to ‘Liberate’ Blue States