NBC News has suspended one of its journalists over a controversial report which bolstered right-wing conspiracy theories about the violent hammer attack on Paul Pelosi.
Miguel Almaguer, a correspondent for NBC’s Today show, came under fire earlier this month when he suggested that the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was not in danger during the assault that left him hospitalised with a fractured skull.
In an on-air report on 4 November, Mr Almaguer cited an unnamed source and appeared to attempt to sow doubts in the official account from law enforcement about what happened inside the home.
“When officers arrived here at the Pelosi home exactly a week ago today, they initially didn’t have any idea exactly what was going on. They knew they had a high priority call on their hand. What was unclear what was happening inside the property just behind me,” he said.
“The 82-year-old did not immediately declare an emergency or tried to leave his home, but instead began walking several feet back into the foyer toward the assailant and away from police. It’s unclear if the 82-year-old was already injured or what his mental state was, say sources.”
He went on to raise questions about what unfolded prior to police officers arriving on the scene in comments that played right into the hands of right-wing conspiracy theorists.
“Why Pelosi didn’t try to flee or tell responding officers he was in distress is unclear,” he said.
“We still don’t know exactly what unfolded between Mr Pelosi and the suspect for the 30 minutes they were alone inside that house before police arrived.”
Hours after the segment aired, NBC pulled it from its website, saying that “it did not meet NBC News reporting standards”.
On Monday, The Daily Beast revealed that Mr Almaguer has since been suspended from the network pending an internal investigation.
The Independent has reached out to NBC News for comment.
A spokesperson for NBC News said they would not comment on personnel matters when approached by The Daily Beast.
Mr DePape was allegedly hunting for the House speaker when he broke into the couple’s home in San Francisco in the early hours of 28 October. Ms Pelosi was away in Washington DC at the time, with her husband home alone.
Mr Pelosi managed to call 911 to alert authorities to the intruder.
When officers arrived on the scene, they witnessed Mr DePape strike Mr Pelosi in the head with a hammer.
Mr Pelosi underwent surgery for a fractured skull and is still recovering from his injuries.
Mr DePape was arrested at the scene and is charged with attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder and threats to a public official and their family.
Following his arrest, Mr DePape’s online history surfaced, revealing a deep-rooted obsession with extreme right-wing conspiracy theories.
But, despite the evidence, police accounts, and the fact that the assault comes amid a surge in reported threats against members of Congress and at a time when Mr Trump and his supporters continue to push false claims of 2020 election fraud, right-wing commentators refused to believe Mr Pelosi was assaulted by a man targeting the House speaker.
Right-wing figures including Elon Musk and Megyn Kelly peddled baseless conspiracy theories about the attack to their followers.
Following the GOP’s disappointing midterms last week, Ms Pelosi has pointed to the response from the right, saying that it “turned off voters”.
