“I think there’s some parallel with the Tea Party here,” he told Al Jazeera, referencing a conservative movement that began in 2009, tapped into a specific mix of libertarian ideals and right-wing populism, and saw several of its candidates elected to Congress.
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“In hindsight, we look back at the Tea Party and think, well, it’s not really a party. It was really just sort of brand of conservatism. And it was Republicans tapping into a sentiment,” he said. “[The current situation] is candidates recognising that there are these types of sentiments out in the mass public, and thinking that they can grow their coalition, just by a tiny little bit, by signalling here and there.”

However, he noted that the messaging of the most extreme adherents to the Tea Party paled in comparison to the claims made by QAnon’s supporters, adding: “Culture changes and polarization has been increasing. So in some sense, you need something perhaps that’s more outlandish to actually capture attention.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news..../2020/10/16/in-qanon

Commonalities:

Populist Sentiment: Both movements are driven by a strong anti-establishment and anti-elite sentiment.
Distrust of Government: A deep-seated skepticism towards federal authority and mainstream media.
Grassroots Organization: Both started as grassroots movements, mobilizing ordinary citizens.