7 Conspiracy Theories About the Attack on Paul Pelosi That Are Wrong

Every information occasion appears to generate conspiracy theories on-line lately, and the assault on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband on Friday actually introduced the weirdos out of the woodwork. The solely distinction this time? The richest man on the earth, Elon Musk, helped gas the hearth.

Nancy Pelosi’s husband, 82-year-old Paul Pelosi, was attacked on Friday after a person recognized as 42-year-old David Depape allegedly broke into his San Francisco residence round 2:00 a.m. Depape reportedly hit Pelosi with a hammer and Pelosi required emergency surgical procedure to his hand and head. Depape’s motive has not been established by police but, however he reportedly brought zip ties and mentioned “where’s Nancy?” repeatedly, main many to consider the assault was politically motivated.

Depape wrote no less than two blogs expressing far-right political opinions on the whole lot from Holocaust denial to election fraud. But right-wing influencers have unfold various theories on why Depape was at Nancy Pelosi’s home final week. And these conspiracy theorists obtained an enormous assist when Elon Musk shared a weblog put up on Twitter yesterday claiming Depape was truly a intercourse employee who was assembly up with Paul Pelosi and issues went unsuitable—a idea that has no foundation actually.

Musk, who finalized his buy of Twitter final week, deleted the weird tweet and its hyperlink to a right-wing weblog—which, it needs to be famous, has beforehand reported that Hillary Clinton died and was changed by a body double—however didn’t challenge an apology or correction. But the injury was already executed, serving to lend credence to a idea that isn’t borne out by the information.

Today, we’re taking a look at a few of the conspiracy theories which were circulating on-line since Friday and the individuals who have helped amplify them. Aside from Musk, the most important megaphones for these theories have been held by folks like Jack Posobiec, a far-right influencer who’s beforehand palled around with neo-Nazis, and Dinesh D’Souza, a convicted felony pardoned by Donald Trump.

“The media is assuming the assailant said ‘where’s Nancy’ because he was out to get her. A more plausible explanation is that he was making sure she was NOT AT HOME so the sexual rendezvous with Paul Pelosi could proceed,” D’Souza tweeted on Sunday in a typical proclamation.

But D’Souza is stuffed with shit, simply as his “documentary” about election fraud titled 2000 Mules was proved to be completely nonsense.

No, the attacker was not in his underwear.

The concept that Pelosi’s attacker was in his underwear caught hearth as a result of a Fox News clip claiming as a lot went viral on Twitter. But Fox News was simply parroting what one other information outlet KTVU, had revealed. The information article erroneously reported that Pelosi’s attacker was in his underwear however was corrected and now reads, “CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated what clothing the suspect was wearing when officers found him.”

But that didn’t cease folks like Donald Trump Jr. from posting a photograph to Instagram exhibiting a pair of underwear and a hammer, saying it could be an excellent Halloween costume. Dinesh D’Souza additionally tweeted over the weekend that Pelosi and the attacker had been each of their underwear.

“It’s one thing for Paul Pelosi to be in his underwear. It’s his own home and it was very early on the morning. The remarkable thing is his assailant was also in HIS underwear. What does that tell you that the media isn’t telling you?” D’Souza tweeted.

In reality, D’Souza tweeted this lie multiple times, claiming, “From the police dispatch recording: Speaking of the assailant, #PaulPelosi ‘advised that his name is David and that he is a friend.’ A FRIEND! Now I understand better why both men were in their underwear.”

D’Souza’s tweet is bullshit, nevertheless it does lead us to the subsequent query on our record: Whether Pelosi knew the attacker and was a “friend.”

No, the attacker was not a “friend” of Paul Pelosi.

When folks went looking on-line for the police scanner audio from Friday’s assault, they discovered chatter that mentioned Pelosi referred to Depape as a “friend.” But that very same audio clip makes clear that Pelosi mentioned he didn’t know the person. It’s exactly the sort of language you’d use if a mentally unstable particular person broke into your house and also you had been attempting to maintain them calm.

The shorthand “RP” on the radio chatter refers to “reporting person,” on this case, Paul Pelosi:

RP said that there’s a male within the residence and that he’s going to attend for his spouse. RP mentioned that he doesn’t know who the male is however he suggested that his title is David and that he’s a good friend. RP sounded considerably confused.

There are tweets that even declare Pelosi’s phrases had been in some way a “confession.” As NBC News verified on Sunday with an on-the-record affirmation from San Francisco Police, the attacker and Paul Pelosi didn’t know one another earlier than the assault. Pelosi was clearly calling Depape a “friend” quite than an intruder so he didn’t upset the person.

No, there was not two hammers.

On Friday, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott held a really quick five-minute press convention the place he used an ungainly phrase to explain the altercation witnessed by police.

“They encountered an adult male and Mrs. Pelosi’s husband Paul,” Chief William Scott mentioned on the press convention. “Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it.”

That phrase, “both holding a hammer,” could be taken to imply two various things: That each males had been every holding a hammer or that each males had been holding onto one hammer. Scott didn’t take any questions after the press convention, main many individuals to consider that maybe they each had hammers. Even after there was clarification within the media, proper wing influencers saved insisting that each of them had hammers.

D’Souza helped unfold the conspiracy idea tweeting, “Where did they BOTH get their hammers? #PaulPelosi” But they had been struggling over only one hammer, based on each information outlet that’s since clarified what occurred.

No, the attacker was not a Black man.

In the early hours of the information breaking that Paul Pelosi had been attacked, there have been numerous self-styled web sleuths attempting to trace down the digital footprint of the attacker. One false story that went viral on Twitter claimed the attacker was Black, main many on the far-right to say the attacker’s photograph was being suppressed. But the photograph that went viral wasn’t David Depape.

The Black man who went viral was a veteran of the Gulf War who allegedly murdered a liquor retailer proprietor in Chicago. Needless to say, that story has nothing to do with the break-in at Pelosi’s residence.

No, there was not a 3rd particular person in Pelosi’s residence.

Politico reported on Friday {that a} third particular person was inside the house:

David DePape compelled his approach into the house by means of a again entrance, Scott mentioned. Officers arrived on the home, knocked on the entrance door and had been let inside by an unknown particular person. They found DePape and Pelosi struggling for a hammer, and after they instructed them to drop the weapon, Scott mentioned, DePape took the hammer and “violently attacked” Pelosi.

This induced folks like right-wing influencer Glenn Greenwald to start out “just asking questions,” as he so typically does, with an ulterior motive.

“Many journalists see the glaring questions and evidentiary holes in the Paul Pelsoi narrative. But they also know how important that narrative is to Dems right before the mid-terms,” Greenwald tweeted over the weekend.

But as NBC News clarified on Sunday, there was no third particular person current at Pelosi’s residence through the assault:

The solely individuals who had been on the residence through the violent break-in early Friday had been Paul Pelosi, 82, and David DePape, 42, who faces tried homicide and different expenses, police mentioned, clarifying remarks Police Chief Bill Scott made at a information convention Friday.

Conspiracy theorists will clearly take this revision to imply that some sort of info is being suppressed quite than the extra possible undeniable fact that reporters at Politico both acquired dangerous info, or, as within the case of the 2 hammers, they heard one thing phrased in an ungainly approach and handed on incorrect info.

No, the window was not proved to be smashed from the within.

Plenty of far-right web sleuths seemingly turned specialists in glass impression on Friday. One concept that turned well-liked amongst conspiracy theorists was that the window at Pelosi’s home was smashed from the within. The supposed proof for this was glass that fell on the skin of the home.

But for those who truly have a look at the window, there’s glass on each the within and outdoors of the home, one thing that might be fully regular in a state of affairs the place somebody was attempting to achieve entry into a house.

No, the attacker just isn’t a left-wing radical.

Jack Posobiec revealed video of a neighbor who mentioned she tried to avoid Depape as a result of he was so bizarre. “We try to avoid them at all costs,” the neighbor mentioned. But Posobiec has tried to color the neighbor’s solutions about Depape’s political leanings as some sort of proof that he’s truly a left-wing radical.

“Actual interview of neighbors from Paul Pelosi’s attacker doesn’t line up with the mainstream media narrative at all,” Posobiec tweeted.

But for those who truly watch the video, this isn’t somebody who truly is aware of what Depape’s politics occur to be and is simply guessing that he’s left wing.

Reporter: What would you say their politics are?

Neighbor: I’m undecided. I’d think about that they’re extra left-leaning, uh, due to their help for the homosexual neighborhood and for, uh, for different folks, however it’s…. no I’m undecided what approach they lean as a result of…

Reporter: Because they’ve the LGBT flag…

Neighbor: Yeah. Yeah.

Later within the video the neighbor, recognized solely as Trish, says she didn’t even know Depape’s title earlier than the information studies. So this isn’t precisely a definitive supply on the person’s political opinions. The dozens of blog posts, nevertheless, paint an image of somebody with far-right views.

Obviously, not one of the information introduced right here will change the minds of individuals on the far-right who consider the assault on Paul Pelosi was some conspiracy to impress outrage and sympathy for the Democrats. Steve Bannon, the previous Trump advisor who was discovered responsible of contempt of Congress, mentioned as a lot on his podcast over the weekend. But it’s nonetheless vital to inform the reality and proper the report, if just for historical past’s sake.

If you repeat a lie sufficient instances, it turns into typical knowledge. And we’ve seen that play out numerous instances in recent times. Whatever you consider Nancy Pelosi, it’s vital to inform the reality about what’s occurring on the earth in order that affordable folks could make knowledgeable choices.

“Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop,” Nancy Pelosi wrote over the weekend, based on CBS News.

“We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving. Please know that the outpouring of prayers and warm wishes from so many in the Congress is a comfort to our family and is helping Paul make progress with his recovery.”