Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday joined a growing number of right-wingers pushing baseless conspiracy theories about last week's attack on Paul Pelosi.
Trump mused about the assault on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at their San Francisco home last week in an interview with conservative radio host Chris Stigall. Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer by an intruder targeting his wife and remains in the intensive care unit after undergoing surgery on a fractured skull and other injuries. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins described the attack as "politically motivated" and the suspect himself told investigators that he planned to hold the House speaker hostage and break "her kneecaps," according to the Justice Department.
"It's weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks," Trump said in Tuesday's interview. "You know, probably, you and I are better off not talking about it. The glass, it seems, was broken from the inside to the out and, you know, so, it wasn't a break-in, it was a break-out."
Trump added that he's "not a fan of Nancy Pelosi" but what happened was "very sad."
"The whole thing is crazy," he said. "I mean, if there's even a little bit of truth to what's being said, it's crazy. But the window was broken in and it was strange the cops were standing there practically from the moment it all took place."
It's not the first time that Trump has floated conspiracy theories about the attack, according to Rolling Stone. "Trump has credulously gossiped with some people close to him about an assortment of Paul Pelosi-related rumors and so-called theories, including that the attack was 'fake' and a false-flag to change the subject before the critical 2022 midterms," the outlet reported.
Former President Trump is now publicly promoting baseless conspiracies about the attack on Paul Pelosi. He's been saying behind closed doors that the attack may have been "fake," a source tells Rolling Stone. Latest from @swin24 and me. https://t.co/RgE2Z7U7s0 pic.twitter.com/csbmxKrter
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) November 1, 2022
Trump's suggestion has already been debunked — by the alleged attacker himself. Suspect David DePape told investigators that he "broke into the house through a glass door, which was a difficult task that required the use of a hammer," according to the DOJ. Investigators said the glass was apparently laminated, which made it more difficult to break.
Trump also appeared to agree with Stigall's suggestion during the interview that Pelosi and the attacker knew each other.
"Yeah, yeah, it's a lot of bad stuff," Trump said.
The claim echoes a conspiracy theory boosted by new Twitter owner Elon Musk, who shared a link from a fake news website claiming that the two men knew each other and that Pelosi's attacker was a male sex worker. The conspiracy theory that the attacker was Pelosi's lover was boosted by lawmakers like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Clay Higgins, R-La.
Not only did the alleged attacker tell investigators that his attack was politically motivated and targeted the House speaker, according to the DOJ, but police have repeatedly said there is "absolutely no evidence" to back up this claim.
"As a matter of fact, the evidence indicates the exact opposite," San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told CNN.
Scott called the conspiracy theories "pathetic" and "disturbing."
"We've spent a lot of energy just pushing back, really ridiculous conspiracy theories, to make sure people stay focused on our team," he said. "These things are harmful to society, they're harmful to the victims involved — it's really sad that we are here in this place, but we are."
Police responded to the home after a 911 call from Paul Pelosi. Officers on the scene "secured a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties," according to the DOJ.
But conservative pundits have continued to stoke doubts about the attack. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly on her podcast demanded that police release the body cam footage from the response.
"Let's see it all. I don't know what went on," Kelly said. "I know enough to smell a rat. There's something going on here that they're not telling us. I just don't know what it is."
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on his podcast also tried to stoke doubts about the law enforcement account and even urged listeners to volunteer as the "amazing patriot" who might bail out the accused attacker.
"Why is the conservative movement to blame for gay schizophrenic nudists that are hemp jewelry maker breaking into someone's home — or maybe not breaking into someone's home," he said. "Why are we to blame for that exactly? And why is he still in jail? Why has he not been bailed out? And by the way, if some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area wants to really be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail this guy out ... bail him out, and then go ask him some questions."
Charlie Kirk calls for his audience to post bail for Pelosi attacker: "If some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area wants to really be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail this guy out...Bail him out and then go ask him some questions" pic.twitter.com/EkMqFIYUn1
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) October 31, 2022
The conspiracy theories around the attack echo bogus TrumpWorld claims about the Capitol riot, when his supporters hunted Pelosi and other lawmakers through the halls of Congress.
"There were conspiracy theories that the crowd was nothing but antifa members, there were no Trump supporters that stormed the Capitol and all kinds of other disinformation," Kurt Braddock, an extremism researcher at American University, told The Hill. "Here it's an individual who seems to be motivated by ideas that have been espoused by elements of the right wing. So by cultivating these conspiracy theories and using a bullhorn to amplify them on social media, what it does is distract from the actual motivations of the attacker."
