Fox Information/Screenshot
Within the quick hours following information that Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband was assaulted by a hammer-wielding assailant of their San Francisco house, Fox Information hosts and commentators rapidly moved to spin the assault as something however politically motivated.
Even after reporting on the suspect’s reported embrace of right-wing conspiracy theories about COVID and 2020 election denialism, the community’s anchors puzzled easy methods to “join all of that” to Pelosi as there’s a “lacking path of dots right here.”
David DePape, 42, was taken into police custody early Friday morning after allegedly breaking into the speaker’s home and attacking Paul Pelosi. “The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott mentioned on Friday. “Our officers instantly tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical support.”
Whereas the motivation of the assault remains to be below investigation, CNN reported on Friday morning that DePape shouted “The place is Nancy, the place is Nancy?” upon coming into the house and allegedly tried to tie up Paul Pelosi till the speaker returned.
Moreover, a evaluation of DePape’s social-media exercise confirmed a voracious consumption of far-right conspiracies, together with posting movies from MAGA pillow salesman Mike Lindell baselessly claiming the 2020 presidential elections was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
In addition to sharing hyperlinks to crank web sites falsely claiming the COVID-19 vaccines are lethal and that George Floyd was killed by a drug overdose, he additionally commonly shared transphobic memes and pictures. On high of that, DePape additionally reportedly saved a weblog that groused concerning the “ruling class” and additional delved into far-right conspiracies, resembling “Pizzagate,” QAnon, and issues that “pedo faculties” are normalizing pedophilia.
As reporters dug into the suspect’s previous and potential motivations, Fox Information personalities and friends pivoted to suggesting the assault on Pelosi’s house was a “random” incident amongst a nationwide surge in violent crime, which they’ve lengthy blamed on supposedly lax insurance policies in Democrat-led cities.
“So clearly we don’t know what occurred with this assault on Mr. Pelosi and it is reprehensible it doesn't matter what the circumstances, however I so additionally suppose it’s price retaining in thoughts we're in against the law disaster in our nation as a result of we demoralize the police,” unbiased California gubernatorial candidate Michael Shellenberger mentioned on Fox Information. “We now have principally mentioned to the police they're the enemy in a wide range of methods. And I believe it is a wake-up name that these are issues that have an effect on all people. This isn’t only a drawback that impacts individuals in poor neighborhoods that all of us needs to be involved about restoring public security, each to cities like San Francisco and cities across the nation.”
On the similar time, whereas tying the assault to rising crime charges, some Fox hosts took intention at former President Joe Biden for some motive.
“There are two issues we may have on our palms right here. , against the law scenario that simply occurred extra randomly or with some motivation however wasn’t actually focused at Pelosi per se,” Fox Enterprise host Jackie DeAngelis declared on Fox Information daytime chat present Outnumbered.
“That shines a light-weight on what’s occurring not solely in San Francisco however all these different cities,” she continued. “If we now have a scenario the place that is politically motivated, you must step again and say: ‘Why is our nation so divided?’ President Biden, you bought as much as the rostrum and mentioned you have been gonna convey us collectively!”
One other Outnumbered host, nevertheless, was truly upset that Biden even condemned the assault on Pelosi’s husband—questioning why the president hasn’t carried out the identical condemnation for different hammer assaults.
“I don’t bear in mind them doing that after we watched an aged Asian-American get stomped within the face a number of instances. Or assaults with hammers right here within the metropolis that has affected 1000's of People who're victims,” Emily Compagno fumed at one level.
Whereas CNN and different media retailers reported among the suspect’s unhinged social-media posts, Fox Information’ “straight information” division cautiously prompt the violence manner have been a random legal act.
“We simply don’t know at this level, that this particular person may have been motivated by absolutely anything. We don’t know,” Fox Information anchor John Roberts proclaimed.
“Yeah, the one indication we now have is ‘The place’s Nancy?’ That he was ready for Nancy,” chief political anchor Bret Baier responded. “However we don’t know his viewpoint.”
Finally, although, the Fox anchors and reporters started reporting on DePape’s social-media exercise. Nevertheless, they did so whereas whistling previous the truth that the conspiracy theories he espoused usually echoed a lot of the community’s opinion programming.
“Social media posts included transphobic pictures, hyperlinks to web sites claiming COVID vaccines have been lethal. The [COVID] dying charges being promoted are no matter they wish to be promoted because the dying charge, one put up mentioned,” Roberts reported. “Additionally posted hyperlinks to YouTube movies with titles like ‘Democrat FARCE Fee to Examine January sixth Capitol Riot COLLAPSES in Congress!!!’ and ‘International Elites Plan To Take Management Of YOUR Cash!’” Roberts then added: “So, it seems to be like we doubtlessly have any person right here who embraces conspiracy theories?”
The Fox anchor left one thing out, nevertheless, whereas describing DePape’s posts, as Mediaite editor-in-chief Aidan McLaughlin famous on Twitter.
“Roberts calls them ‘conspiracy theories’ however all of those theories seem nightly on Tucker Carlson’s present,” he wrote. Certainly, the primetime Fox Information host commonly traffics in anti-trans commentary, vaccine skepticism, anger over the worldwide elite “ruling class,” and disdain for the Home committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
After reporting that a former affiliate of DePape distanced herself from him after he started “utilizing Biblical justification to do hurt,” Roberts puzzled how this might presumably have led to him violently lashing out at Pelosi. “Once more, how do you join all of that with Nancy Pelosi? That’s the lacking path of dots right here,” he puzzled.
Baier, although, identified that there have been posts on DePape’s Fb web page that did point out the speaker.
“You additionally must watch out scouring the social media stuff as a result of individuals can go on the market and spoof a few of these social media websites,” Roberts reacted. “So that you’ve received to be very cautious that you recognize precisely what it's we’re earlier than we report on it.”
Fox Information contributor and former California gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner, in her look Friday afternoon, fairly overtly uncovered the primary aim right here: Blame the libs, it doesn't matter what.
“It’s crucial, additionally, that we don’t make this a partisan concern,” she instructed anchor Martha MacCallum. Thirty seconds later, nevertheless, she exclaimed: “Tender on crime liberals, politicians working to really defund the police... We now have to get these individuals out of workplace!”
And, in fact, she additionally managed to get in a shot at Biden with the midterm elections solely 11 days away.
“One other main takeaway is Biden,” she mentioned. “He’s carried out nothing to tone down the rhetoric and unite this nation.”