Right-wing conspiracy theories surround Paul Pelosi attack

GOP pushes conspiracy theories about the Friday attack on Paul Pelosi; Lula wins Brazil’s runoff presidential election.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Misinformation spreads about the Paul Pelosi attack

 Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

• Members of the far right, including some Republicans, are spreading misinformation about Friday’s attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. [Rolling Stone / Nikki McCann Ramirez]
• The assailant, who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, reportedly shared conspiracy theories online about the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. [CNN / Devan Cole]
• Sunday, Elon Musk shared and later deleted a response to a link from a far-right website, falsely claiming there "might be more to this story." [Axios / Sara Fischer]
• Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Donald Trump, Jr. sent tweets amplifying a false anti-LGTBQ conspiracy theory about the attack. Higgins deleted his tweet; since then, other top conservatives have shared conspiratorial content. [Politico / Adam Wren]
• Some on far-right platforms like former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social have been celebrating the attack. [Vox / Nicole Narea]
• Paul Pelosi remains hospitalized. The assailant now faces assault and attempted kidnapping charges. [NBC News / Rebecca Shabad, Ken Dilanian, and Andrew Blankstein]

Lula returns to power in Brazil

• Sunday, former President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva narrowly defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s runoff presidential election. [Vox / Jen Kirby]
• Leftist politician Lula received over 60 million votes, while far-right Bolsonaro gained more than 58 million. Bolsonaro repeatedly spread false claims about fraud in Brazil’s elections. [CNN / Camilo Rocha]
• In his victory speech, Lula promised to reduce poverty, end the deforestation of the Amazon, and lead the fight against climate change. [CNBC / Jenni Reid]
• However, as of Monday afternoon, Bolsonaro has not conceded defeat, fueling concern that he could challenge the results. [Reuters / Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito]

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The Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in two cases that will determine the future of race-based university admissions. [Vox / Fabiola Cineas and Ian Millhiser]

• Monday, Norway placed its military on raised alert, citing security concerns amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. [Guardian]
• Elon Musk has dissolved Twitter’s nine-member board of directors, taking sole leadership of the company. [BBC]
• At least 134 people died Monday in India after a suspension bridge collapsed in the western state of Gujarat. [Reuters / Sumit Khanna]

“There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye.”

[Elon Musk’s since-deleted response to a false conspiracy theory about the attack on Paul Pelosi / CNN]

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