The video of retired U.S. Army lieutenant general Michael Flynn taking the QAnon oath was an important moment for military veteran Joseph Smith.

The clip was posted to Flynn’s Twitter account on the Fourth of July. It shows the former White House national security advisor standing shoulder to shoulder with his family, their right hands raised. After vowing to protect the United States from “enemies foreign and domestic,” they repeat the QAnon mantra: “Where we go one, we go all.” 

“Oh my God, I was flabbergasted,” recalled 40-year old Smith, who lives in California and has been following the sprawling and increasingly popular conspiracy theory since its birth on the online messageboard 4Chan in 2017.

Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, QAnon has exploded in popularity across the U.S. Its adherents believe that President Donald Trump is a lone savior figure battling a corrupt “deep state” that shelters and aids a powerful network of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. According to a Daily Kos/Civiqs poll, 56% of Republicans believe QAnon is mostly or somewhat true. This base of support also includes a growing number of military veterans who, in turn, form an important voting bloc.