The Storm

English

Etymology

From Donald Trump's mention of "the calm before the storm" in an October 2017 interview.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ðə ˈstɔːm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ðə ˈstɔɹm/
• (New Zealand, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ðə ˈstoːm/

Proper noun

The Storm

1. QAnon (conspiracy theory)
   • 2017 December 19, Paris Martineau, “The Storm Is the New Pizzagate — Only Worse”, in New York‎^[2], archived from the original on 26 December 2018:

     Like Pizzagate, the Storm conspiracy features secret cabals, a child sex-trafficking ring led (in part) by the satanic Democratic Party, and of course, countless logical leaps and paranoid assumptions that fail to hold up under the slightest fact-based scrutiny. However, unlike Pizzagate, the Storm isn’t focused on a single block of shops in D.C., or John Podesta’s emails. It’s much, much bigger than that.

   • 2018 January 17, David Neiwert, “Conspiracy meta-theory 'The Storm' pushes the 'alternative' envelope yet again”, in Southern Poverty Law Center‎^[3]:

     In an online universe where conspiracy theories not only sprout like kudzu but attract bigger audiences the more outrageous and strange they grow, it was probably inevitable that an uber-theory like “The Storm” would become an overnight sensation.

   • 2018, West Mick, Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect:

     There are many extreme political conspiracy theories, with varying degrees of plausibility, things like “Pizzagate,” “The Storm,” “QAnon,” and “Russiagate.”

   • 2018 September 12, Abby Ohlheiser, “Reddit bans r/greatawakening, the main subreddit for QAnon conspiracy theorists”, in The Washington Post‎^[4]:

     QAnon, whose supporters also call it “The Storm” or “Great Awakening,” is a wide-ranging conspiracy theory that burst into greater visibility this summer, after supporters at a Trump rally wearing Q shirts prompted a rush of national media coverage about it.

2. The purportedly planned mass arrests which form an integral part of the QAnon conspiracy theory.
   • 2018 August 3, Molly Roberts, “QAnon is terrifying. This is why”, in New Zealand Herald‎^[5]:

     "The Storm is coming," say the conspiracy theorisers whose grotesque imaginings terrified the country to attention this week. Maybe they're right.

   • 2018 August 25, Colin Drury, “Trump meets 'paedophile cult' QAnon conspiracy theorist at White House”, in The Independent‎^[6]:

     It claims there are deep state efforts to undermine or assassinate the president, who, in turn, is working at ways to reveal the existence of the cabal. According to such a world view, the military supports Mr Trump. His enemies will eventually be sent to Guantanamo Bay in a purge known as The Storm.

   • 2020 September 20, Jamie Doward, "'Quite frankly terrifying': How the QAnon conspiracy theory is taking root in the UK", The Observer.

     At its core are lurid claims that an elite cabal of child-trafficking paedophiles, comprising, among others, Hollywood A-listers, leading philanthropists, Jewish financiers and Democrat politicians, covertly rule the world. Only President Trump can bring them to justice with his secret plan that will deliver what QAnon’s disciples refer to as “The Storm” or “The Great Awakening”.

   • 2020 September 22, Chris Francescani, “The men behind QAnon”, in ABC News:

     What began in 2017 as a political conspiracy theory has since morphed into a meta-conspiracy movement that in sum aims to account for much of the evil in the world, sweetened by the promise of evil's swift demise with "The Storm" -- the perpetually imminent arrest of tens of thousands of "enemy" Americans -- and "The Great Awakening" -- the subsequent, Rapture-like new beginning for the world where believers' faith is recognized and rewarded.

   • 2020 October 15, Oliver Laughland, Tom Silverstone, “Trump ally running for Congress believes in baseless QAnon sex-trafficking conspiracy”, in The Guardian:

     She also reiterated a QAnon rallying cry related to the so-called “Storm”, a day of reckoning when, followers believe, Donald Trump will reveal the malefactors in the deep state. “THE STORM IS HERE,” she tweeted on 6 August this year.

   • 2020 October 19, Kevin Roose, “What Is QAnon, the Viral Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory?”, in New York Times:

     Q predicted that this war would soon culminate in “The Storm” — an appointed time when Mr. Trump would finally unmask the cabal, punish its members for their crimes and restore America to greatness.

Usage notes

The predominant term for the conspiracy theory is QAnon; The Storm is much rarer.

Anagrams

• stormeth