Elon Musk continues to cook up controversy as Twitter’s new owner.
The billionaire pointed to an unfounded conspiracy theory Sunday in reference to the attack last week on the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in December 2020. Hannibal Hanschke/Pool via AP
Musk tweeted a link to a Santa Monica Observer article claiming Paul Pelosi was involved with a male sex worker, according to the Daily Beast.
“There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye,” Musk wrote.
His tweet came in response to a statement by Hilary Clinton, who posted, “The Republican Party and its mouthpieces now regularly spread hate and deranged conspiracy theories. It is shocking, but not surprising, that violence is the result.”
The Santa Monica Observer story appeared to be taken down Sunday. The outlet has a reputation for sharing fake news, according to the Los Angeles Times, which says the Santa Monica Observer once claimed Clinton died and was replaced by a body double.
Paul Pelosi suffered a cracked skull, among other injuries, after an intruder entered his San Francisco home early Friday and allegedly asked, “Where is Nancy?” The 82-year-old Paul Pelosi underwent surgery after the intruder beat him with a hammer, officials say, and is expected to fully recover.
Police arrested David DePape, 42, in connection with the attack.
Musk completed his $44 billion purchase of Twitter last week – a move he celebrated Friday by tweeting, “the bird is freed.” He later vowed the social media platform is creating a “content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.”
Other controversies involving Musk’s Twitter deal include the billionaire reportedly stating plans to lay off 75% of the platform’s staff before refuting those intentions.
He also disagreed this year with Twitter’s decision to ban former President Donald Trump. In Friday’s tweets, Musk said the company’s content moderation policies haven’t changed.
“No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes,” Musk wrote.
Hip-hop star Kanye West’s locked Twitter account appeared to be back Friday, though it’s unclear if Musk’s purchase played a role in his return. West’s account was suspended following a tweet in which he threatened to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
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