Self-proclaimed “Chief Twit” Elon Musk sent Twitter into an uproar after sharing a conspiracy theory about the break-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) home in San Francisco, which left her husband, Paul, hospitalized.
Fresh off finalizing his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, Musk responded Sunday to a tweet from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who castigated Republicans and their “mouthpieces” for spreading “deranged conspiracy theories” while sharing a link to an article about the break-in suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, who is facing charges of attempted murder, elder abuse, and burglary after allegedly attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer.
“There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye,” Musk said in his tweet, which shared a post that puts forth allegations that Paul Pelosi was intoxicated and had met the intruder at a gay bar earlier in the night before the attack took place early Friday morning.
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Within a couple of hours, the tweet garnered tens of thousands of retweets, comments, and likes. Many of the responses were outraged, but Musk also had his defenders.
“Really? The new owner of twitter is spreading the conspiracy theory … even just saying there is a ‘tiny possibility,'” tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).
Really? The new owner of twitter is spreading the conspiracy theory… even just saying there is a “tiny possibility.” https://t.co/rBSoaqa1FN
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) October 30, 2022
Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel was another one to chastise Musk, tweeting, “It has been interesting, over the years, to watch you blossom from the electric car guy into a fully-formed piece of shit.”
There were many more angry responses from blue checks, as well as posts predicting the doom of Twitter, including from those who already were skeptical of Musk vision for the social media platform following his purchase of the company.
Elon Musk is already spreading dangerous lies on the platform he owns.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 30, 2022
This answers the question as to whether Elon’s Twitter will devolve into an unflushable turd of disinformation and dudebro conspiracy mongering. When the Dictator of Twitter is doing it himself, it’s inevitable. 🖕🖕 https://t.co/61AQ7M2FJy
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) October 30, 2022
The new CEO of twitter posting obvious to a 12-year-old disinformation about a politically motivated attack on the family of one of the highways level politicians in the US because she’s a democrat is a great starting point for the new era here https://t.co/QV7Q5xCMeF
— Danny Gold (@DGisSERIOUS) October 30, 2022
There is a large probability that this is totally irresponsible.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) October 30, 2022
Among those who cheered Musk was conservative commentator Benny Johnson, who tweeted, “This is a fatality. Something Hillary is familiar with.” He was alluding to the Clinton body count conspiracy theory.
This is a fatality.
Something Hillary is familiar with.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 30, 2022
San Francisco police, who were performing a well-being check, witnessed the suspect attack Paul Pelosi with a hammer early Friday morning, according to Police Chief William Scott.
Paul Pelosi, who is 82, “was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s spokesperson said in a statement. He is expected to make a full recovery, the statement added.
U.S. Capitol Police are working with the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department to investigate the incident. There has been an outpouring of support from lawmakers of both parties in response to the attack.
Authorities said they believe DePape broke in through the back door but have not stated a suspected motive, but journalists have dug into online posts believed to be from DePape, some of which reference the QAnon conspiracy theory. DePape had a bag containing zip ties, among other things, insider sources told CNN.
The assailant shouted, “Where is Nancy?” after breaking into the couple’s home, a source told the Associated Press. The House speaker was in Washington, D.C., with a protective detail at the time. Nancy Pelosi, who rushed back to San Francisco to be with her husband afterward, released an open letter to colleagues Saturday night.
“Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband Paul,” Pelosi wrote. “Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop.”
The letter went on to add: “We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving.”
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Pelosi also thanked those hoping for her husband’s swift recovery before offering an update on his condition.
“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. His condition continues to improve,” Pelosi’s letter stated. “We are also comforted by the words of the Book of Isaiah: ‘Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'”
Musk, a billionaire who heads Tesla and SpaceX, completed his purchase of Twitter last week. He immediately ousted top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, General Counsel Sean Edgett, and the company’s top lawyer Vijaya Gadde.
Musk has vowed to make changes, including proposing a council to oversee content moderation decisions and a reported end to permanent bans on the platform, while also declaring, “Comedy is now legal on Twitter.”
