The police investigating the abuse of the husband of the speaker of the US House of Representatives have become frustrated with the lies. Barack Obama warns against incitement to hate.
When a man armed with a hammer broke into the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives on Friday night Nancy Pelosi home and abused this man Paul’sboth major US parties condemned what happened.
Paul Pelosi underwent surgery last week for a skull injury and hand injuries sustained from a hammer blow. His recovery is estimated to take a long time.
Soon after the violent attack, the tone of some Republican and right-wing media comments changed, with many making jokes or spreading conspiracy theories about the incident, reports The New York Times magazine (you will switch to another service). The attitude towards the matter has therefore followed the same pattern as was seen in connection with the takeover of Congress in January 2021.
Vague references to the fact that not everything has been told about the attack on the Pelosi home or that there is something shady about it have become a popular comment in some right-wing media and various discussion groups.
– Look for what is missing and what doesn’t fit together, encouraged the political commentator David Webb on Fox News on Sunday.
Among those spreading various claims is, for example, a Republican sitting in the House of Representatives of Congress led by Nancy Pelosi Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Among other things, he has claimed that the attacker is a “friend” of Pelosi. Later, Marjorie Taylor Greene started to blame the politics of the Democratic Party for what happened and says that the attacker was in the country illegally and that Pelosi was unable to defend herself because of the Democrats’ gun restrictions.
According to San Francisco police, there is no indication that Pelosi knew her assailant. Police commissioner William Scott says news channel for CNN (you will switch to another service)that the authorities have to use their energy in vain to suppress “pathetic and shocking” conspiracy theories.
The New York Times emphasizes that the highest leadership of the Republican Party has not participated in the spread of lies, but on the other hand, they have not intervened in their spread either.
Former Democratic President of the United States Barack Obama referred to the attack on Pelosi’s home in his speech in Las Vegas on Tuesday and warned against inciting hate speech.
– There are politicians who, instead of increasing people’s unity, do their best to foment discord. They are trying to make us angry and afraid of each other for their own benefit, Obama warned.
– And all this is getting stronger. It is promoted on social media around the clock.
The attacker has spread many conspiracy theories in the past
A 42-year-old is suspected of breaking into Pelosi’s home David DePapea, whose actual target is believed to have been Nancy Pelosi. DePape has been charged with, among other things, attempted murder and attempted kidnapping.
DePape has previously spread far-right and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories on the internet. In circles devoted to these same conspiracy theories, lies are now being spread about DePape’s alleged crimes.
Among other things, the act has been claimed as the act of a “gay lover” or a “male prostitute”. One of those who spoke about “male prostitution” is a Republican member of the House of Representatives Clay Higginswho later deleted his post from Twitter.
Some right-wing media, including Fox, have falsely claimed that both the victim and the attacker were wearing only underwear when the police arrived. Fox later retracted the claim, which again led to suspicions of hiding the “truth”.
– New day, new narrative, Republican politician Tricia Flanagan tweeted to his more than 70,000 followers on Monday.
For example, the new owner of Twitter has also been accused of hiding the “truth” in conspiracy circles Elon Musk’s missing tweet. Musk first shared and then removed a link from a fake news website known to make the prostitution claim. According to Marjorie Taylor Greene, Musk’s mouth is blocked by “democratic activists in the mainstream media”.
One of those who “joked” about the case is the ex-president Donald Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr, who has shared several messages related to the attack on Twitter. One of them shows a “Paul Pelosi costume”, i.e. a hammer and underwear.
A Republican running for governor of Arizona in next week’s election Kari Lake has, on the other hand, made the election campaign audience laugh by talking about the poor security measures at Nancy Pelosi’s home, says news channel CNN (you will switch to another service).
On Tuesday, Donald Trump also took a stand on the incident in a radio interview and gave more momentum to conspiracy theories by claiming that no one broke into the Pelosi’s home. Quoting a radio interview Politico (you’re moving to another service) according to Trump claimed that instead of breaking in, someone had actually broken out of the house.
– The whole thing is crazy, and if even a small part of what is said is true…