California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is speaking out to suggest that a Fox News host played a part in creating the environment that led up to the attack on Paul Pelosi.
During an interview with CBS News’ Major Garrett, the California governor said, “I’ve seen the dehumanization of Nancy Pelosi. I don’t think anyone’s been dehumanized like she has consistently.”
“Now I watched this one guy, Jesse Watters or something on Fox News. What he’s been saying about Paul Pelosi the last five, six months, mocking him consistently. Don’t tell me that’s not aiding and abetting all this. Of course, it is,” he asserted.
Finally, Newsom said, “They’re sowing the seeds, creating a culture and a climate like this. I mean, look online. Look at the sewage that is online that they amplify on these networks and in social media to dehumanize people like Nancy Pelosi and other political leaders.”
Watch the video below:
“Don’t tell me he’s not aiding and abetting this.” California Governor Gavin Newsom slams Jesse Watters of Fox News. pic.twitter.com/x96DrU8jLF
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 1, 2022
On Friday, a man who appears to have been steeped in online conspiracy theories allegedly broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home in search of the House speaker.
The suspect reportedly yelled, “Where is Nancy?” multiple times.
According to authorities, Paul Pelosi — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) 82-year-old husband — struggled with the suspect. The man brutally beat Paul Pelosi with a hammer — he later underwent surgery for a skull fracture and is expected to make a full recovery.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced on Monday the suspect would be charged with residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, threats to a public official and their family, and attempted murder.
Jenkins told reporters the suspect conveyed to law enforcment after the attack that he wanted to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and “If Nancy [Pelosi] were to tell [him] the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps.'”
This suspect seems to have been someone who is pretty disturbed and not a rational thinker. One acquaintance told CNN he appeared to be “out of touch with reality.”
But after the assault, we’ve seen a push to link political attacks on Nancy Pelosi by Republicans to the incident. And Newsom joined in by noting Watters’ coverage of Paul Pelosi’s DUI arrest earlier this year.
Yes, Watters did poke fun at Paul Pelosi and dubbed him “Pauley P.” Watters also focused on what he thought were inconsistencies in the information being shared about the arrest and the handling of the case.
Still, according to authorities, the suspect was looking to kidnap Nancy Pelosi. And by that story, he was not originally breaking into Pelosi’s house to beat an 82-year-old man because Jesse Watters made fun of him on TV.
If your argument is that people shouldn’t mock politicians or their families or criticize them because a crazy Canadian conspiracy theorist — who is illegally in the country and once insisted he was “Jesus for a year” — might attack them, you are not an honest person.
You just want to silence conservatives.