[csusbpeace] Elon Musk Finally Apologizes For Creepy Conspiracy Theory About Paul Pelosi Attack
- From: "raccoon" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ("bigraccoon1")
- To: "CSUSBPEACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <CSUSBPEACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2023 05:39:29 -0800
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-apologizes-paul-pelosi-conspiracy-theory_n_63d71ae9e4b0c8e3fc7efc0b
Elon Musk Finally Apologizes For Creepy Conspiracy Theory About Paul Pelosi
Attack
Musk pointedly did not denounce the concocted tale in his half-hearted
apology. In fact, he indicated that he still believes it could be true.
Jan 29, 2023
Twitter CEO Elon Musk <https://www.huffpost.com/topic/elon-musk> finally
apologized for promoting a baseless conspiracy theory to his 126 million
social media followers about the vicious hammer attack on Paul Pelosi
<https://www.huffpost.com/topic/paul-pelosi> inside his home last October.
“I apologize
<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1619415871902056449?s=20&t=WCvfqFulfU0JMALJj-Sd9Q>,”
Musk said after a chorus of calls for him to do so Friday when the gruesome
video footage
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/police-body-cam-video-paul-pelosi_n_63d4056de4b01e92886a9aed>
captured by the body cams of police arriving on the scene of the assault was
released.
Yet Musk pointedly did not denounce or discredit the conspiracy theory that
the attack was part of some kind of spat with a male escort. In fact, he
indicated in a tweet he still believed it could be true.
After the vicious assault, a number of right-wing Republicans
<https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/republican-party> — including Sen. Ted
Cruz
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/27/paul-pelosi-attack-video/>
(R-Texas) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
<https://www.businessinsider.com/pelosi-attack-suspect-tells-police-motivated-by-right-wing-views-2023-1>
(R-Ga.) — made light of the crime that fractured the skull of the husband of
former speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi
<https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/nancy-pelosi> (D-Calif.)
Paul Pelosi was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery for the
skull fracture and to repair serious hand and arm injuries. Former President
Donald Trump <https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/donald-trump> expressed
skepticism <https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=660170295817868> about the
attack.
Others, like Musk, amplified the conspiracy theory that the ugly attack was
committed by a man the 82-year-old Pelosi had picked up at a gay bar
<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1619471548406190082> in San Francisco
rather than by a home invader. Their baseless “proof” was that Pelosi
appeared to be in his underwear. In fact, he was in his pajamas, in bed, when
his home was invaded.
David DePape
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/paul-pelosi-attacker-david-depape-jail-call_n_63d68c3ee4b0c2b49add17aa>
is currently in prison awaiting trial on several charges in the attack,
including attempted murder and elder abuse. In a call from prison Friday to a
San Francisco TV station, he reportedly said he regretted that he “didn’t get
more of them
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/paul-pelosi-attacker-david-depape-jail-call_n_63d68c3ee4b0c2b49add17aa>,”
apparently referring to Democratic lawmakers. Investigators said he was
after Nancy Pelosi <https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/nancy-pelosi> when he
broke into the couple’s San Francisco home.
Immediately after the violence, Musk linked to an article in the Santa Monica
Observer <https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1619471548406190082> claiming
the attack occurred as a drunk Pelosi was arguing with a male escort. None of
that was true. Yet Musk wrote: “There is a tiny possibility there might be
more to this story than meets the eye.”
Former Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger tweeted on Friday: “Hey
@elonmusk care to react to the Pelosi video? You spread the big conspiracy…”
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle also tweeted: “This would be a perfect moment for
@elonmusk to apologize
<https://twitter.com/SRuhle/status/1619250204120870912?s=20&t=A4luXaJTfnms3GzSxRqZ6w>
to the Pelosi family.”
It could not immediately be determined if Musk had reached out to the family
to apologize — or if such an apology was accepted, given that he hadn’t
denounced his lie.
One Twitter user wrote
<https://twitter.com/atensnut/status/1619372491801255936>: “Idiots on the
left want @elonmusk to apologize to the Pelosis. For what? It is still a
questionable and bizarre situation between two men in their underwear.”
Rather than discredit the conspiracy theory, Musk responded
<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1619415871902056449>: “Nonetheless, I
apologize.”
Musk’s ugly attack on Pelosi was reminiscent of his shocking slam on British
cave explorer Vernon Unsworth, who risked his life participating in the
rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped for weeks in a flooded
Thailand cave in 2018. Amid a Twitter spat about how to rescue the boys, Musk
called the rescuer a “pedo,” short for “pedophile.”
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ury-elon-musk-did-not-defame-british-diver_n_5deadc14e4b0913e6f8ffaf2>
After he was sued for defamation in that case, Musk testified in a Los
Angeles Court that he used the word “pedo” merely as an “insult” — not as a
statement of fact. He only intended to insult the “creepy old man,” Musk
insisted.
The jury found that Musk did not defame Unsworth.
Other related posts:
