QAnon followers fixated on March 4, 2021, believing it would mark the return of Donald Trump as the 19th president of the United States. This belief stemmed from a misinterpretation of U.S. history and sovereign citizen ideology. Originally, presidential inaugurations occurred on March 4 until the 20th Amendment in 1933 moved the date to January 20. Some QAnon adherents, influenced by sovereign citizen theories, claimed that the U.S. government became a corporation in 1871, rendering all presidents after Ulysses S. Grant illegitimate. Consequently, they believed Trump would be inaugurated on March 4, 2021, to restore the “original” government.
Leading up to March 4, 2021, QAnon communities intensified their rhetoric, predicting mass arrests of political elites and a military takeover. Security measures were heightened in Washington, D.C., with the Capitol Police issuing alerts about potential threats from militia groups. However, March 4 passed without incident, leading to skepticism among some followers. Many began to reframe the failed prophecy, suggesting that the date was a “false flag” operation or that the true event was yet to occur.
The March 4 obsession exemplifies how QAnon adherents reinterpret failed predictions to maintain belief in their narrative. Experts warn that such cognitive dissonance can perpetuate the movement, as followers continuously adjust their expectations rather than confront the falsity of their beliefs
