QAnon-linked event finds new host hotel in Las Vegas
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Don Ahern, president and CEO of Ahern Rentals, warms up the crowd before a rally with President Donald Trump at Xtreme Manufacturing in Henderson Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.
Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021 | 4:09 p.m.
A controversial QAnon-linked convention scheduled for October in Las Vegas is apparently back on after its initial host resort backed out.
Two weeks after the event — the For God & Country Patriot Double Down — lost its original location on the Strip, it has reportedly found a new home at the Ahern Hotel.
The property, just west of Las Vegas Boulevard on Sahara Avenue, is owned by Don Ahern, a major backer of former President Donald Trump. Ahern hosted a mega-Trump rally last summer at the peak of the pandemic at Xtreme Manufacturing, his heavy equipment company in Henderson.
Calls to the convention’s organizer, the Patriot Voice, a group with ties to the QAnon movement, were not immediately returned. Attempts to reach representatives with the Ahern Hotel were also unsuccessful.
The event is scheduled for Oct. 23-25. On the Patriot Voice website, organizers wrote: “They tried to shut us down but we have no plans to back down or shy away from this movement. We promise to DOUBLE DOWN on our dedication to God & Country, and patriotism!”
The event was initially scheduled for Caesars Entertainment properties, but was shelved Aug. 31 after community backlash.
It features a lineup of speakers including retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser under Trump, and a host of QAnon sympathizers and far-right figureheads, according to the event’s webpage.
QAnon, a purveyor of far-right conspiracy theories, is labeled by the FBI as a potential source of domestic violence. Its followers could seek to harm perceived members of what the movement refers to as “the cabal,” according to an FBI report.
That includes Democratic politicians and celebrities that QAnon followers claim are engaged in nefarious activities.
Experts said having the conference in Las Vegas could be dangerous, especially with Patriot Voice bringing in a “security team” from 1st Amendment Praetorian, a group created to deal with would-be protesters at conservative rallies and events.
Kristen Doerer, managing editor of Right Wing Watch, said the conference lineup represented a “who’s who of the far-right movement, particularly the QAnon movement.”
“This lineup kind of shows how QAnon has infiltrated the Republican Party,” she said. “What you can expect at this event is a lot of talk about the false claims that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump and a lot of anti-mask and anti-vaccine sentiment.”
It is unknown how many people registered for the gathering, where ticket options start at $650 and range up to $3,000 for a “high roller VIP all weekend pass.”
