
Former Girlfriend of Paul Pelosi’s Attacker Claims He Was Not a Conservative
(UnitedVoice.com) – An attacker severely injured Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) husband, Paul Pelosi, on October 28. San Francisco police have reported the alleged assailant, David DePape, was looking for the congresswoman, who is second in the presidential line of succession, when he broke into the home. The ex-girlfriend and neighbors of the suspect are speaking out.
In the days after the attack, DePape’s social media posts have come under scrutiny. They indicate he jumped from one ideology to another over the years. In the weeks and months before the assault, he was espousing far-right beliefs, but he’d also dabbled in a number of other thought systems.
Oxane “Gypsy” Taub, his former girlfriend, told the San Francisco Chronicle he believed he was a progressive at one point, as well. She said he was always someone who believed many of the conspiracy theories that have circulated, including that there is a shadow government running the country. Throughout her 15 years with him, she said he was not a conservative.
DePape’s neighbor Jin Molnar told Fox News conservative media influenced him in recent years, and he was “gravitating towards new right talking points.”
David DePape’s radicalization unfolded over eight years and several different ideologies, moving from Green Party support and nudist activism, to a hateful mix of racist, anti-Jewish and misogynistic rhetoric, according to terrorism analysts. https://t.co/iJXEfc0imb
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 1, 2022
Cynthia Miller-Idriss, American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab director, told The Washington Post cases like DePape’s aren’t uncommon. She explained that while it “feels contradictory,” it makes “perfect sense” once you learn more about “online exposure to propaganda.” She added, “It’s a choose-your-own-adventure type of radicalization.”
Regardless of his current belief system, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned the attack. The Department of Justice has charged him with attempted kidnapping and assault on a family member of a US official. He’s facing 50 years in prison.
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