Elon Musk tweets link from site known to push right-wing misinformation
![Elon Musk's Twitter profile.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p7Rfaf5AhQRagAZfwzsuyb-415-80.jpg)
Twitter's new owner, Elon Musk, shared a link on Sunday to an article containing false claims about the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Early Friday morning, Paul Pelosi was attacked inside his San Francisco home by a man with a hammer, police said. The suspect has been identified as David DePape, 42, who reportedly asked, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" once he got inside the house. During the attack, Paul Pelosi suffered a skull fracture and injuries to his hands and right arm; he underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Hillary Clinton tweeted on Saturday that by spreading "hate and deranged conspiracy theories," Republicans are emboldening people to attack politicians and their loved ones. Musk responded on Sunday, replying, "There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye." He included a link to an article from a website called the Santa Monica Observer, which baselessly claimed the suspect was a prostitute. The link was later deleted.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Brooke Jenkins, the San Francisco district attorney, told The New York Times on Sunday she has not seen any evidence to support the idea that the suspect and Paul Pelosi knew each other.
The Los Angeles Times wrote about the Santa Monica Observer in 2021, describing it as "notorious for publishing fake news." It has published claims that a Clinton body double debated Donald Trump in 2016, sunlight cures COVID-19, and during his presidency, Trump appointed Kanye West to a role in the Interior Department.
Anita Chabria, an opinion columnist at the Los Angeles Times, called Musk out on Sunday for spreading the "vicious and false conspiracy theory to his 112 million followers on his new toy, Twitter." The claim was "ugly, anti-LGBTQ garbage," Chabria stated, adding that "when the rich, powerful, and influential become peddlers of anti-democratic ammunition, they become dangerous to democracy. Musk, in a note to advertisers last week, wrote, 'Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.' But then he made it just that. If we don't hold Musk and others like him accountable now, we may not have the chance."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
California orders mass dismantling of unhoused people's camps
Speed Read Gavin Newsom's move follows a Supreme Court ruling last month in favor of an Oregon city that ticketed people for sleeping outside
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
7 dreamy products to help you sleep better on vacation
The Week Recommends Don't snooze on these sleep aids
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Did Kamala Harris kill brat?
Talking Point Pop culture phenomenon co-opted by presidential candidate sparks claims brat is over
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
Threads turns one: where does the Twitter rival stand?
In the Spotlight Although Threads is reporting 175 million active monthly users, it has failed to eclipse X as a meaningful cultural force
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
Boeing, SpaceX successfully test key rockets
Speed Read Boeing’s Starliner docked at the ISS and SpaceX completed its fourth test launch of its Starship spacecraft
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Amazon ending 'Just Walk Out' grocery checkout
Speed Read In its place, the company will let customers scan while they shop with Amazon Dash Cart
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How social media is limiting political content
The Explainer Critics say Meta's 'extraordinary move' to have less politics in users' feeds could be 'actively muzzling civic action'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suit
Speed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
House votes to force TikTok to sell or face US ban
speed read The House passed a bill to ban TikTok on national security grounds unless it sells to a non-Chinese company
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Apple kills its secret electric car project
Speed Read Many of the people from Project Titan are being reassigned to work on generative AI
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Google's new AI bot 'woke'?
Talking Points Gemini produced images of female popes and Black Vikings. Now the company has stepped back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published