Trust the Plan

The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America

By: Will Sommer

Narrated by: Joe Knezevich

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

"A story so bizarre, only Will Sommer could report it.”—Molly Jong-Fast

The definitive book on QAnon from the reporter knows them best; Will Sommer explains what it is, how it has gained a mainstream following among Republican lawmakers and ordinary citizens, the threat it poses to democracy, and how we can reach those who have embraced the conspiracy and are disseminating its lies.

The Storm is Coming. Trust the Plan. WWG1WGA. You’ve seen the letter Q on TV and in the news–it’s been everywhere from Trump rallies to the January 6th insurrection. “QAnon” used to sound vaguely familiar, somewhat ominous, but not quite mainstream. But what was once a fringe conspiracy theory has now become a household name and its symbols recognizable around the world. How did this happen, who is actually involved, what do they believe, and what do they want?

Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer has been on the ground with Q’s followers since day one, and in Trust the Plan Sommer has written the definitive book on the movement—who started it and who grew it, what they really believe is going on, and what they want to see “the Storm” accomplish on the day of its reckoning. At once a character study and a journalistic exposé, Sommer lets his cast of characters do the talking as he visits them around the world, from their makeshift compounds to the rallies they are still holding.

The great tragedy of this story is ultimately the legitimization of this ideology by mainstream politicians eager to gain access to a large and growing cohort of voters. Though 2020 brought the end of Trump’s presidency, his following within the QAnon community has simply pivoted and grown stronger. Trust the Plan shows us in granular detail who we’ll be up against for years to come, in the US and abroad. Understanding why and how something like Q happens is an indispensable exercise, and in showing us how we got here we can chart a path out.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 William Sommer (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

5-Star Reporting, 1-Star Narration

Strange to give a five-star review to an audiobook I stopped listening to so early, but voiceover artist Joe Knezevich's narration is just unbearable. He narrates Sommer's book like he's doing a parody of a voiceover in a 1990s-era spy thriller. "In a world where Q begins its rise ..."

My response? I stopped listening to the audiobook and immediately ordered the hard copy, so I could continue listening to Sommer's extraordinarily compelling, deeply reported, first-person perspective of one of our nation's most important and horrifying political movements.

Sommer's writing and reporting is the best of what journalism aims to be. And I wasn't going to let Knezevich's gratingly cheesy comic persona and phony dramatic pauses block me from accessing Sommer's electrically engaging narrative.

Strange, too: I heard Sommer discuss his book on "Fresh Air," and he had a beautiful voice and an easy way with the spoken word. Why he turned down the opportunity to narrate his own book is a mystery. Regardless, I'm so excited for the hardcover to arrive, so I can complete my journey through his awesome book.

Will Sommer is one of perhaps five or six journalists who understand what’s happening right now.

The current state of American political discourse often denies reality for the sake of argument or simplicity. Very few journalists will understand what’s going on in 2025 when Trump/DeSantis inevitably claim they won the 2024 presidential election. They’ll say “no one could have seen this coming” or “it was impossible to stop this” but only a handful of people - Will Sommer, Kelly Weill, Julian Feeld, Travis View, and a few others have been here from the start and know what’s happening and why.

Insightful

Great piece dissecting the madness. Good style and incredibly direct. No frills just dense and accessible information

makes you think

a wake call to how conspiracy theories are all not new and not going away

Love it!

I love Will’s podcast Fever Dreams, and I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for a while. It did not disappoint. I thought I knew all there was to know about the Q cult, but there are a ton shocking and crazy revelations in these pages that frankly blew my mind. I don’t think I’ve experienced this many deep, frustrated sighs in a long time. Every 10 minutes I let out a “what!! Oh my god! What?” Great read, or in this case listen. Highly recommended. Narrator was fantastic as well.

The most comprehensive to date

I don’t believe we’ve heard the last of Qanon and this book is a must read for anyone aware of its real presence, a wise one for anyone who isn’t. Well researched, first hand accounts and insights brings this strange American online cult into the light, in an easy, fascinating read.

Great Listen

Great research and personal stories about Quanon. Gives the big picture of how Quanon spread but has personal stories of how and why it took hold in America

A wildly fascinating and heartbreaking ride

An important and unbelievable read from arguably the Q expert. Sommer is able to dive into the craziest parts of one of the craziest movements ever - and still treat them as mislead people who matter. It could only be better …if it were fiction.

A good entry level introduction into QAnon

Not a bad book by any stretch but it feels like it could have and should have been more. it's a good first intro to QAnon, but if you've followed Will's work up until now much of it is a recap.

Heed the warnings

This is a must read for any American concerned with maintaining democratic rule in the face of growing fascist threats. It’s clear that a powerful a minority that has relied on the GOP to safeguard its interests against the needs and desires of the masses has run the numbers and sees that maintaining their rule through democratic means is becoming untenable. There is a concerted effort to break down faith in and sow cynicism toward democratic processes. This book shows how that elite (they aren’t shadowy or imaginary, you can see and hear them on FOX every day) can use the madness of the masses to suit their ends. The Q movement, as described by Will Sommer, is an expression of the real angst felt by many people who feel their deteriorating quality of life is being ignored by a liberal elite only concerned with advancing the interests of specific protected groups, racial minorities, LBGTQ+, etc. The irony is that the same people embracing these fascist tropes end up supporting the very party that creates the conditions that they aren’t satisfied with, the GOP. It is a perfect storm for a fascist movement, especially with a feeble Democratic Party as the main hurdle to overcome. We can see how feeble the DP is when we consider how it continues to maintain weakened institutions. The DOJ headed by Merrick Garland is unsure and hesitant, reluctant to even take action against conspirators who plotted a violent overthrow of the US government. The Mueller investigation wouldn’t indict Trump because of the existence of a policy memo created under a different corrupt GOP president. Congress can’t seem to pass reforms that would wrest control of government from a minority determined to maintain anti-democratic rule (ie, white supremacist minority rule). There are bright moments. The House Jan 6 investigation and the special prosecutor investigation. But overall, the prescription to undermining the fascist movement is to meet the needs of the people, regardless of race or gender or anything else.