TEXAS — Texas Republicans over the weekend responded to questions about the use of the slogan “We Are The Storm,” which is a rallying cry for adherents of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory.
It has been suggested that the Texas GOP’s use of the slogan could be a nod to the proponents of the theory, which posits a deep-state cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles secretly runs the world and President Donald Trump is the only person standing in the way.
While the conspiracy theory was originally limited to the internet, it has made its way into mainstream politics. Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who subscribes to the theory, earlier this month was victorious in the primary runoff for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.
President Donald Trump has retweeted several QAnon-affiliated accounts, and when pressed last week, he said he didn’t know much about the conspiracy but that its supporters are big fans of his.
Vice President Mike Pence, however, distanced himself from the movement.
The state party on Saturday issued a statement in response to a New York Times article about how a small number of Republicans have signaled support for QAnon. In it, Texas GOP Chairman Allen West wrote the following:
“It’s offensive and condescending that white, liberal, progressive socialists would expect me to respond to their demand to know how long I have said something. Here’s is a pure example of the leftist embrace of racism. It is obvious that as a strong conservative Black man I am not allowed to think or speak. I expect an apology from The NY Times, otherwise, it is evident who the purveyors of systemic racism in America are."
Texas Republicans also issued a statement that says the slogan in questions comes from a favorite poem of West’s and that it has biblical connotations.
“The ‘We Are the Storm’ poem is one of Chairman West’s favorite quotes to use in speeches. He and the entire Texas GOP will not be bullied by partisan leftists in the media into ceding powerful phrases with biblical roots — taken from Psalm 29 — to Internet conspiracy groups,” the statement reads, in part.
According to the same statement, when pressed about QAnon a few weeks ago, West replied, “I don’t know about anybody else and I’m not into internet conspiracy theories.”