CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash warned of the conspiracy theories and lies posted online that are linked to David Depape, the suspect arrested by the San Francisco Police Department for allegedly attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The posts include conspiracy theories about election fraud promoted by Donald Trump, anti-Semitic tropes, Gamergate, the Illuminati, posts by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Covid vaccine lies, misinformation about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and complaints that former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
For the latest on the developing story, CNN anchor Victor Blackwell interviewed Bash.
"Dana, we are seeing responses from Republicans and Democrats condemning the violence, condemning the attack," Blackwell noted. "Are we seeing any condemnation of any other things that are connected to this man?"
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"What's the reaction you're seeing online from leaders on Capitol Hill?" Blackwell asked.
"We're seeing some condemnation, you're right," Bash replied.
"[Sens] Mitch McConnell (R-KY), even Ted Cruz (R-TX) put out statements," she noted. "We still haven't — unless it's happened as we're speaking — seen anything of the sort from [Rep] Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the House Republican leader. We have seen Democrats calling on him to very vehemently condemn this."
"Again, it's -- it's just happening, but that is what Democrats, her colleagues are saying in a very, very aggressive way because they're hoping that perhaps this is a moment when finally everybody will stop and say, we have to not continue to stoke this, now we should also have our eyes very wide open because that's what everybody thought after Jan. 6, that oh, well, when the Capitol was attacked, everybody would say, okay, we have to turn the temperature down, but this is -- there's no question that given what our colleagues have reported about what is on his social media page, what Jamie [Gangel] and others are reporting about what he said to Paul Pelosi, 'Where's Nancy?' the identical phrase we heard with other own ears on Jan. 6 from the rioters and it's all connected and it's connected by a very dark and very dangerous undertone."
"Not even an undertone," Bash said, "it's a completely above the surface now of anger and hostility across the board and it's got to stop."
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