GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — North Carolina’s Lt. Gov. shared a meme on Facebook seemingly making light of the assault on Paul Pelosi by referencing a conspiracy theory that has been circulated about the attack.
On Saturday, Mark Robinson posted a picture on Facebook that uses a recent meme format of a Spirit Halloween costume with a humorous list of “costume items.” The version that Robinson shared, captioned “I’m sorry Paul, I don’t believe you or the press!!!” shows an “attacker” in underwear holding a hammer, with a list that reads “Underwear (2), Hammer (2), Lame story to the press.”
This is a reference to a conspiracy circulating about the assault on Pelosi that was originally published by a conspiracy website purporting to be a news site.
The article has been taken down, but it was shared by Elon Musk in response to a tweet by Hillary Clinton, where he alleged there was “more than meets the eye” with the assault. Only the headline remains: “The Awful Truth: Paul Pelosi Was Drunk Again, And In a Dispute With a Male Prostitute Early Friday Morning.”
Reportedly, when he attacked Pelosi, he asked “Where’s Nancy?” His online footprint involved rambling posts that discussed election fraud and amplified QAnon ideas. QAnon is a conspiracy theory that alleges that high-level politicians, including Nancy Pelosi, are part of a cabal of Satan-worshipping, baby murderers who influence world events to serve their intentions.
Paul Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture and has a “long road to recovery” ahead of him.
Attorney General Josh Stein posted on Facebook that Robinson’s post is “throwing fuel on the flames” of political violence, condemning him for mocking Pelosi’s assault.
QAnon merchandise and “salutes” were seen at a Trump rally in September where he campaigned for Ted Budd. Mark Robinson also spoke at that rally. Budd and Robinson will be appearing together at a “Save Our Schools” speaking event Thursday in Goldsboro.
Kari Lake, an Arizona gubernatorial candidate, and Donald Trump Jr. have also been under fire for making light of the assault on Pelosi.
DePape’s alleged assault on Pelosi is another in a string of violence committed by people who have echoed QAnon beliefs.
In September, Igor Lanis allegedly shot and killed his wife and dog and wounded one of his daughters before being killed by police. His daughter posted on Reddit and then spoke with multiple media outlets about QAnon’s influence over her father.
In 2019, a mob boss named Frank Cali was allegedly killed by Anthony Comello, a QAnon believer. In 2020, Chris Hallett was allegedly killed by Neely Petrie-Blanchard after she had become convinced he was part of the “cabal.” In 2021, Matthew Taylor Coleman allegedly killed his two young children after becoming convinced they had “serpent DNA.”
