‘ANCIENT SCAPEGOATING’

‘It Began to Metastasize Around Me’: Clinton Compares QAnon to Salem Witch Trials

“This is rooted in ancient scapegoating of women, of doing everything to undermine women in the public arena,” Clinton told The New York Times.

Hillary Clinton has “been thinking about [QAnon] a lot,” according to The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg. The columnist asked Clinton about “Frazzledrip,” a violent, false conspiracy theory peddled by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that asserts Clinton was filmed assaulting and drinking the blood of an anonymous young woman.

“For me, it does go back to my earliest days in national politics, when it became clear to me that there was a bit of a market in trafficking in the most outlandish accusations and wild stories concerning me, my family, people that we knew,” Clinton said, adding that it was rooted in “ancient scapegoating” of women, particularly those who challenge power and patriarchy. “This is a Salem Witch Trials line of argument against independent, outspoken, pushy women. And it began to metastasize around me.” she said.

She said she had no sympathy for Greene but understands how one can fall down the proverbial QAnon “rabbit hole” due to “addictive” social media algorithms.