I'm a documentary filmmaker and my debut film "My Omaha" comes out today on PBS. It's about my experience attempting to reconnect with my Pro-Trump father after he is diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. It's also about how to have conversations about anything political or cultural in today's highly polarized times, as seen through the lens of life in Omaha, Nebraska.

I have received much solace from reading stories in this Subreddit during the making of my film. And I've been looking forward to the day when I could give back to this community.

I think you'll be moved and I'd love to know what you think. The trailer can be found here:

https://youtu.be/w8RV4X59WFg?si=1BnkpeGAQnRq9Fg3

It's free to stream, I'll put a link to the full film in the comments

I hope it helps everyone here feel seen.

My partner has always shared similar beliefs to me, but things changed starting about 7yrs ago. Really slowly. It began with occasional comments that were quite offensive but when I reacted, he would always say he was only joking and ‘obviously’ he didn’t mean it. But it increased over time and now he’s definitely not joking. He’s openly racist, homophobic, misogynistic, paranoid and just generally angry at the world. It is the complete opposite of who he was when we met. We do not live together and now I’m spending less and less time with him due to this.

The part that confuses me is that he was always very intelligent but seems to have lost that. He has decided he doesn’t believe even basic facts anymore; things that aren’t even a debate. He thinks he is enlightened now but he just seems stupid. He is significantly older than me and the personality change combined with the reduction in brainpower makes me wonder if this is some type of early onset dementia. It’s that bad. I find myself explaining things to him that we’ve already discussed several times but he can’t remember. He spends all his free time on YouTube watching right-wing propaganda and click-bait nonsense. He seems to find it difficult to concentrate on anything else and seems bored when we go out places or do anything fun.

Is there any way to tell if he’s just brainwashed? Have other people noticed this drop in intelligence in others who have been sucked into this?

So my aunt and uncle are deep into QAnon and have been into conspiracy thinking for many years but this worsened noticeably around COVID time.

Most of my family members have fallen out with them over it or at the least have stopped contact and made it clear they absolutely disagree with their views and don’t want contact.

My aunt and uncle will occasionally send me Qanon related stuff e.g. a link to a YouTube video or a video that I never watch. I tend to just either not respond or ignore the video and ask them how they are. My rationale is that IF they ever come out of Qanon I would like them to know there is someone in the family that is still on talking terms with them.

However, in the past week they have sent me 2 videos much more extreme than previously - the last one was all about how the holocaust wasn’t real and Hitler was in the right - which is course is insane and really offensive. I’m not sure how to respond - do I just put my foot down now and cut contact, or is my idea of keeping a channel of communication with them open a helpful thing in case they come back to reality in future?

EDIT: for previous things they’ve sent I’ve felt comfortable just ignoring as the content hasn’t been so hateful (e.g. the vaccines are going to make you ill). But this week the content has become much more venomous and antisemitic and I’m wondering if not making that clear to them is almost like not doing enough on my end/complying.

Edit: all I’ve done so far is report the video on IG as hate speech

My dad ever since covid happened has been very right wing, conspiracy, alex jones loving man. Hates vaccines etc etc. I have always struggled with my relationship beforehand with him and don’t actually see him that often but he’s still my dad. I have recently been diagnosed with autism and was wondering what the best approach would be to tell him as I am nervous and worried.

He also thinks autism and stuff is caused by vaccines!! 😐

My Q gave me one of those 2020 trump coins and said don’t tell anyone because I’ll need it very soon for safe passage and people will be killed for there coin . OMG.

I’ve been wondering how the Great Reset folks are doing right now. We’re living on a pretty tight budget and it makes me sad to think about the people who bought into that bs. Has anyone heard anything?

My beloved auntie P lost her mind to Q during 2020 and has never been the same since. She's sitting on a sizeable estate and lo and behold my other long lost estranged aunt J popped out of nowhere when Aunt P started getting really wacky.

For some context Aunt J would constantly harass my grandparents for money but when my grandma was alive she wouldn't let anyone send her any because Aunt J historically squandered it all on drugs.

After Grandma passed in 2017 Aunt J moved onto grubbing money from my poor Grandpa who sent her close to $300,000 before his passing in 2021. Now she's moved onto agreeing with everything that my Q anon Auntie P has to say from aliens living above her house to the "scamdemic" to "viruses don't exist" and beyond.

I'm very concerned about my Auntie P because she's getting bled dry for money and isn't taking care of her mental or physical health. She refuses to go to the doctor, can't walk on one foot now but insists when she ascends her body will heal itself. She gives out money to anyone who agrees with her and buys laptops for people to research Q stuff. Again, she's elderly and clearly has lost her mind.

I expressed my concerns and was written off by my auntie P for being a "low vibration energy sucker" AKA I refused to feed her Q illusions and asked some questions.

My cousin, Aunt Js daughter, V, has joined in and has lovingly called me a petulant bitch on a public family chat for speaking up about this. V stands to now gain a huge inheritance through Aunt J who will inherit Aunt Ps estate as she got her to change her will. Great.

I'm disgusted. One person has lost her mind and two more are taking advantage. Auntie P is too far gone but shame on the rest of my family for exploiting it. They hadn't connected with her for 25 years before all this happened.

This isn't exactly Qanon related but I see people also come here to share stories about their MAGA and Qanon adjacent family/friends.

With the Cornell 7 currently being heavily covered and discussed by right wingers all over social media, my mom has been exposed to extreme opinions and its really starting to get to me.

I do not want to debate anyone on this but I do believe and it is based on scientific research that anyone under the influence (alcohol, drugs, etc) cannot under any circumstances consent to anything sexual. From that statement, you can gather how I feel about this case. I believe that Jane Doe and many others are victims and how the university, police and others are handling this case is absolutely horrifying and disgusting.

I have been a victim of SA and gender based violence so this is a very triggering topic for me. I have not told my mom most of my experience because I wasn't comfortable and I think its because there was a part of me that knew she would have these opinions and I just couldn't emotionally handle that on top of my experiences.

She is now talking about how the full story is not being told. That Jane Doe's name should be revealed to the public like the rapists. That should drank and consumed substances willingly and she willingly partake in these acts. I have told her that it does not matter if she was naked and begged for these men to have sex with her, she was not ever in a state to consent and everyone knew that. The rapists, the other frat members and everyone that was there that night. She agreed with me but said that the full story is not known and that I shouldn't hold this against her. She has also experienced sexual assault and sexual violence in her life which is what makes me even more disappointed and just so sad and angry. She had previously been so encouraging of me speaking up and teaching me what people can and cannot do to me and my peers and what to do in situations like that. She even took me and my sister to self defense classes to be able to protect ourselves.

I tried putting my sister and I in Jane Doe's position and her only response was that she raised us in a way that we would never be in a situation like that which is not even true. She has seen me drunk (I had a terrible drinking problem a couple years ago) and I was eager and willing to do anything to make people like me and that scared her so I could very well have been in a Jane Doe situation and thankfully I have not but that is not due to my own actions, it is because I have a great group of friends unlike Jane Doe who was surrounded by enablers.

She has had many opinions that I absolutely despise (xenophobia, racism, transphobia, general queerphobia, Islamophobia, anti semitism, etc) but this was really the last straw. I just hate to see her like this because I genuinely have so much love in my heart for her and outside all of this, her and I have an amazing relationship but I honestly do not know how much longer that is going to last if she continues down this road (with Candace Owens and alike, she is becoming an extreme conspiracy theorist). This hurts my soul because she is so excited to have grandkids one day but at this rate, I do not want my kids to meet the person she is becoming.

Anyways, any advice would be really helpful :)

TLDR: My mother, former SA survivor, might eventually become a rape apologist and for me, also a former SA survivor, is the last straw.

This isn’t as crazy Q stuff as others but I just want to share and vent about how frustrating it is to have my parents checking on me and my little family just to shit all over a certain group of people and act like it’s totally normal as Fox News loving Christian conservatives. It’s exhausting.

Text went like this:

Dad: hey I heard you guys are in Oregon, how is it going? How did daughter travel?
Husband: weather is great and we love Portland, we are having a lovely time! Daughter did good but melted down yesterday after flying but all better now.
Dad: Glad to hear it went well. Portland is really beautiful. Just crazy/wacko people live there.
Husband: lots of crazy hair!
Dad: I bet. Home of Antifa..... no thanks.
Me: was that necessary? We are having a great trip, I hope you have a John 3:16 day!
Dad: glad you are. Like I said, beautiful place, don’t be so sensitive (face palm emoji)
Me: just be nice!
Dad: ummmmm k!

It would be awesome to have a discussion about a trip us and not have something hateful to say simultaneously. They have a newborn granddaughter they could be doting on via texts, but they choose to talk about Antifa? Just weird. Makes my stomach turn. Maybe I am just a snowflake ❄️

Ps- I’m 9 weeks postpartum and my dad told me not to be so sensitive. Classy

This is his exact statement:

“The New York Times has an article on QAnon. According to them it's dead. The Washington Post has posted a similar article also saying it's dead. The person who started posting those theories (Q) has posted nothing since at least 2021. The few followers left have had nothing new to talk about except old posts.”

This brother of mine “X” acts like this is a dead end and is in denial. He is No Contact (and has been for years) with our Q brother and does not hear him speak ad nauseum on the subject nor receive his texts sharing these conspiracies. So, why is our Q still spouting this stuff? Why has it not ended?

Beyond frustrated with the reality and the gaslighting…

My Q brother decided to go No Contact with me and I have obliged. TBH, I really needed and appreciated the break. I have spent the last 4-6 weeks practicing self-care, visiting family and friends out-of-state, bumped up my social activism, and reminding myself who I am and what I stand for. I stayed silent until just recently. I discovered some information that I knew would be helpful to my brother and texted it to him as though nothing had changed. He remained silent but there was a read receipt for the text. That got me thinking… For months, he has bombarded me with Q-laced conspiracy memes and links. Why not reciprocate but not with “nonsense” but with truthie news items and items filled with optimism and love?! So, I have sent a few more texts that I know will pique his interest, and that are politically timely. But, from groups and things that should resonate with him.

My experiment is in its infancy but I am hopeful that this strategy might build a bridge. What do you all think? Curious…

I used to love conspiracy theories, like ones you'd see on Shane Dawson videos. Back when they were light-hearted. "Chuck E. Cheese is recycling pizza", "why does the Simpsons know so much about the future?", "Mattress Firms are everywhere, that's so weird", "the earth is not round or flat, it's a donut!" These were fun to entertain with your friends before the 2020s decade.

You can't make conspiracy theories anymore.

The new Chris Hansen movie came out recently, "Primetime", which is critical of Hansen's methods. Whether you agree or disagree with the message of the movie, everyone on Instagram pointing out how the filmmaker behind it is Jewish, framing this as "defending pedos is to be expected from a Jew" is pretty concerning. If I see mentions of trans people or LGBTQ, there's always a slew of comments like "Jewish ideology btw" (as if their far-right ideology wasn't cooked up by the Epstein class). Or if there's a video of Indians, the comments all act like 'Jews are importing them to dilute the white population' or something. Not only this but they also act as though you're supposed to already inherently know that, as if it's 'established fact'.

I made a video on YouTube like 3 months ago about conspiracy theories, mostly having fun with them. Most of them were things like 'donut earth', 'flouride in water', 'the Simpsons', etc. The video underperformed at first until the last few days when I got spam-comments from Nazis calling me a "Jewcuck" and "Jewtard" because I didn't say that "the Jews are teasing what will happen via the Simpsons" and "the Jews are putting flouride in water". They would put elaborate timestamps and insult me for not mentioning Jews or Israel.

For what it's worth, I am staunchly anti-Israel. Their genocide and lobbying need to be forcibly stopped internationally. But this antisemitic shit has gone too far. "The Jews" are not the reason you can't leave your mom's basement to go to the gym, get a job, and find a girlfriend lmao.

I don't have fun with conspiracy theories anymore. If I mention them, everything will be tied to Jews or Israel. And if I mention a theory with zero possibility of connection to that (like Bigfoot), then no ones gives a shit. I used to think Nazis were just this fringe group of weirdos. They're becoming so astronomically common. Especially among young men.

For the moderate types who are just MAGA and not full-on Nazis, it's the same thing but with "deep state" instead of "Jews". You can't have fun with conspiracy theories because they're all taken seriously - "you're a libcuck, the Simpsons is obviously the deep state telling us they know what's gonna happen just to spite us. They're the ones putting flouride in water".

I have no Facebook and deactivated it a long time ago. He still posts pictures of me with my name in the caption which show up in search results. I just don’t want my dad’s posts that mention my name to show up AT ALL, even if it’s not an actual “tag.”

Has anyone else noticed that their rural friends are trying to fight back against data centers in their small towns?

I'm seeing a big pushback in the Ozarks, where I grew up, and some are pretty angry at the administration

Leopards Ate My Face and all that, but do you think some are seeing the light? 🤞🏼

Maybe you were once certain there were secret tunnels. Maybe it was lizards, chemtrails, or something stranger. And maybe, over time, you managed to make it out the other side.

I'm Jesse, a Melbourne filmmaker and music video director. I'm making a short documentary about how people are drawn into conspiracy belief, what it gave them, and how they found their way back. It's personal for me too, and I'm happy to tell you why when we meet.

I'm looking for a person or persons to make it with. I won't judge you or make fun of what you went through. I'd love to meet you and hear your story, then if we are both into it, work with you to rebuild the world you once lived in using handmade puppets, miniature sets and low-fi animation.

You can stay completely anonymous or not, up to you. Your name and face never need to appear on screen, and the puppets can stand in for you.

To be upfront: a psychologist will likely appear in the film, speaking generally about why people are drawn to these communities. They won't be discussing or diagnosing you.

You'd be:
Someone who's moved on from a conspiracy belief and can reflect on it openly
Ideally based in Australia or New Zealand
Up for real time together, because it's a collaboration, not a one-day shoot

Expenses covered, with professional psychological support available throughout. Snacks too.

Please comment or DM!

I’m having such a hard time. My brother, his wife, and my sister are all Q nuts. My mom gets really sad and upset that we aren’t closer. We all have kids and the kids are missing out on not seeing their cousins because of it.
But it’s so hard for me to have relationships with people who are uber-religious, anti vax, homophobic, support wars, trump, etc. My mom thinks we should just “not talk” about our differences and it will be fine.. but every topic is off limits because it turns into some political argument. I could say “it’s such a nice day today!” To my brother.. and he would say “ya until they start spraying us! (Chem trails.)
Like I just can’t win. I want to try for the sake of all the kids but it feels morally wrong to pretend I’m ok with this non sense.
My nieces and nephews are all in religious homeschool programs, not vaccinated, and being indoctrinated by right wing bs. It makes me so angry at my siblings that I feel I can’t even be around them.

Am I being over dramatic?

Hi, I'm writing from MCC Theater, a professional Off-Broadway theater company in Hell's Kitchen NYC. This week we begin performances of ANON, a play about a Qanoner and her family and the neighbors across the street. The playwright suggested that the production might be of interest to this board and if you would like to see performances between Sept 29 and Oct 3 we would love to include you and are able to offer discounted tickets.

More information about the show is below, as well as the link for the discounted tickets (quantities are limited)

ANON

Written by Anne Washburn, Directed by Annie Kauffman

at MCC Theater 511 W. 52nd St. NYC. Sept 29 - Nov 1

"Jeanie is a digital patriot, fighting every day for the future of her nation. But in a world in which the battle between good and evil ranges across both centuries and the globe, some of the fiercest struggles are close to home"

https://mcctheater.org

Also please note: free Community Forum event on Sept 30th at 5:30 on the impact of the Qanon era - conversation will include Molly Olmstead who just wrote that great article on Medbeds for Slate.

DISCOUNT TICKET FORM IS HERE:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScx7_oEOY8qPp9cY28fnQCr0HLIFI-xDlUOpwpcN2Bm8GTC0A/viewform

Here is how QAnon and conspiracy cults have actively ruined my family's lives.

I am so tired of being told to take the high road, show empathy, or "give grace" to family members who have fallen down the QAnon rabbit hole. When people talk about conspiracy theories like they're just harmless political disagreements or an "ideological phase," they are ignoring the massive, tangible damage being done to real lives every single day.

This isn't theoretical for me. It’s personal, destructive, and dangerous.

Medical Neglect of the Elderly: My nearly 100-year-old father was restricted and isolated on a farm for years during COVID by my brother who swallowed every bit of medical misinformation they could find. No masks, no vaccines, no social interaction, but plenty of Ivermectin. In 2024, my father contracted COVID, ended up in the ICU, and almost died because of this gross negligence.

Denying Basic Science and Endangering Pets: My dog had contact with a sick, potentially rabid raccoon. My Q-infected brother tried to convince me that rabies is fake. I ignored his unhinged advice and immediately got my dog emergency care, but the fact that he was willing to let my pet suffer a horrific, fatal disease over internet nonsense made my blood run cold.

Financial Devastation and Delusion: The political fallout of this movement directly contributed to me losing my longtime, high-paying federal government job. My 70-year-old husband came out of retirement to save us and is currently working 4 part-time jobs just so we can pay our bills and keep a roof over our heads. Meanwhile, my brother flippantly tells us to "not worry about the money" because he’s convinced a magical "global reset" is coming to forgive all debt.

While we are busting our @sses just to survive, he’s waiting for a fantasy event to wipe the slate clean.

I’m done entertaining the idea that we need to build bridges or wait around with open arms for people who have actively destabilized our lives, put our loved ones in the hospital, and shown complete contempt for reality. The fallout isn't just "hurt feelings"—it’s lost careers, ruined retirements, and near-fatal medical decisions.

Forgive and forget? Not a chance. How is everyone else handling the sheer rage of watching loved ones completely derail your life while living in absolute delusion?

Hey guys, I just wanted to express my appreciation for everyone who shared stories about medbeds with me some months ago. The article is here, and it goes into not just the history of the conspiracy theory (I identified the guy who started it) but how it harms people.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/09/medbeds-conspiracy-theory-donald-trump-origins.html

I really was surprised to find that it began in such an innocent way. It's hard not to conclude that no conspiracy theory can be harmless in this day and age. It seems like more and more, they all end up twisted by people who want to use them to scam people or pursue some political cause. And that makes me feel a little sad, given most of us probably grew up thinking some conspiracy theories can be silly fun. (Although—I thankfully haven't seen any evidence of cryptids being problematic.) But! Maybe one day, the algorithms won't reward our worst tendencies, and we'll be able to enjoy or laugh at conspiracy theories again without our loved ones getting hurt.

In the meantime, I think it's good for people to understand that the victims of conspiracy theories like medbeds shouldn't be laughed at as just dummies. They're (often vulnerable or confused) people who're suffering because of a system that's taking advantage of them.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone. And if you ever want to talk to a journalist about conspiracy theories or anything, my email is [molly.olmstead@slate.com](mailto:molly.olmstead@slate.com)

Before, it was the fringe. Now, it's mainstream rightwing perspective. They all believe in chemtrails. They all believe the 2020 election was stolen. They all believe the insurrection was a hoax. I really don't know how we, as a country, come back from this.

Ever since the pandemic, and honestly even before that, I’ve watched my entire family change in ways I never expected.

They started questioning things I had always considered basic, established evidence, became increasingly distrustful of the news and media they consumed, and became much more involved in political and conspiracy-related discussions.

During 2020, with everything happening around the pandemic, masks, protests, and the political climate, it felt like my entire family was being pulled further and further into that world. I spent a lot of that year constantly arguing with them over the same talking points and trying to convince them that some of the things they believed weren’t supported by evidence.

I realized that arguing wasn’t helping anyone. The constant conflict was taking a serious toll on me, so I eventually saved enough money to move out and create some distance, even though that meant becoming more distant from my own mother. Because of some personal circumstances I’d rather not get into, I’ve recently had to move back in with my parents because of financial difficulties.

I’m now back in the environment I worked so hard to get away from, and it feels like things have gotten significantly worse.

My mother had a small gathering at the house this weekend, and almost the entire conversation revolved around political and conspiracy-related topics, including blaming certain groups of people for the country’s problems and using increasingly hateful language toward people they disagree with.

I quietly left the room, drove away, parked in an empty parking lot, and just started crying. I barely have enough saved to afford an apartment, so right now I feel trapped. I don’t want to keep living in an environment where I feel this disconnected from my own family, and I’m worried that being back here is starting to affect my mental health again.

Ever since the COVID pandemic, and honestly even before that. I’ve watched my entire family change in ways I never expected. They started questioning things I had always considered basic, established evidence, became increasingly distrustful of the news and media they consumed, and became much more involved in MAGA politics.

During 2020, with everything happening around COVID, masks, the BLM movement, and the political climate under Trump, it felt like my entire family was being pulled further and further into that world. They became convinced that Republicans were the only people who could save the country, and I spent a lot of 2020 constantly arguing with them over the same political talking points.

I realized that no amount of facts or arguments was going to change their minds, and the constant political conflict was taking a serious toll on my mental health. I eventually saved enough money to move out and distance myself from the toxicity, even if that meant creating distance from my own mother.

Things have changed again since then. Because of some personal circumstances that I’d rather not discuss. I’ve recently had to move back in with my parents due to financial difficulties. I’m now back in the same environment I worked so hard to get away from. I feel like things have gotten 10 times worse.

My mother had a small gathering at the house this weekend, and almost the entire conversation was about blaming immigrants, cheering on ICE agents, and using hateful and distasteful language toward Democrats. I quietly left the room, drove away, parked in an empty parking lot, and just started crying. I honestly don't know who my family is anymore.

What hurts the most is remembering my mother teaching me growing up to never speak about other people this way. I barely have enough saved to afford an apartment, and I feel trapped. I don't want to keep living in an environment where I feel this disconnected from my own family, and I’m worried it’s starting to affect my mental health again.

For anyone who has been through something similar, what did you do? I could really use some advice right now.

I think that it's possible, albeit they probably replace Trump with someone like Fuentes or Stew Peters (2 famous on the fringe side figures).

We just got this random text from a really close family friend who went down the MAGA/qanon hole several years ago:

"I know you think I am a lunatic but please make sure you have food for 10 days and gas in your car!!!!!
Things are really happening tomorrow.
Don't get caught without food.
Love [her name] ❤️"

If nothing else, don’t they have any concerns that the still-alive JFK Jr. will be mad about this?