How conspiracy theories affect the families of believers

The Sunday Magazine

Over the past several years, followers of QAnon – a conspiracy theory suggesting Donald Trump is the leader of a secret war against the "deep state" – have gained political influence in the United States and beyond. Several of them were part of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Now, investigative reporter Jesselyn Cook is looking into the human impact of believing in such conspiracies – both on followers, and their loved ones. She joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss her book The Quiet Damage, which explores the social fallout of QAnon and challenges our ideas about truth and reality.