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It has been a bad couple of weeks to be a conspiracy theorist, with the recent release of various videos taking the air out of a couple wild and irresponsible falsehoods.
Authorities in San Francisco finally released video from the brutal attack on former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband. That video should remove any doubts about the veracity of this attack on Paul Pelosi, and quiet the pernicious conspiracies that have been trafficked in its wake.
As horrific as this October attack was at the time, it was also horrifying to watch the way some people — particularly some conservative voices — reacted to it. People like Donald Trump Jr. reacted almost with glee, quickly mocking the attack. Elon Musk spread a particular conspiracy theory about the attack on Twitter before deleting that tweet. Musk offered something of an apology after the video was released.
This inability by some to say and do the obvious, to condemn this attack and offer condolences to the Pelosi family, was frankly sickening. And it has been indicative of larger sickness in our marketplace of ideas — one where conspiracy theories are not only amplified, but rewarded. Violent attacks become memes. Lies like this become revenue in a digital cottage industry of misinformation.
Take the way anti-vaccine zealots latched onto the inspiring story of football player and national inspiration Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills. Hamlin’s remarkable recovery after a terrifying on-field cardiac arrest became a vehicle for conspiracists, who ridiculously tried to convince people that his collapse was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine and that he was actually dead and being impersonated by a body double. Again, sickening stuff.
These claims too evaporated with Hamlin releasing a recent video thanking a wide range of people for helping him and supporting his recovery.
“I can’t tell you how appreciative I am for all the love, all the support and everything that’s just been coming in my way,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin did not acknowledge the conspiracies in that video or indicate that they were why he released it, but this was the unfortunate backdrop. In the Pelosi case, a judge ultimately sided with a collection of news organizations who argued that releasing the footage could help address misinformation surrounding the case.
The release of these videos should stop the conspiracy theories in their tracks, even if some of the grifters continue to try to hold on to their obvious falsehoods. These efforts, often framed under the guise of “just asking questions,” go beyond healthy skepticism. They amount to a form of conspiracy hostage taking that essentially demands, “Show us the video, or the documents, or whatever proof we require, otherwise we’re going to assume the worst, wackiest scenario and spread that as supposed fact.”
They also have real and potentially dangerous implications. Conspiracy theories didn’t just sprout from the attack on Paul Pelosi, they seem to have inspired his alleged attacker as well.
To be clear, the Pelosi attack video should have been released sooner. We understand the concerns from both prosecutors and the alleged attacker’s lawyers about the public release of the video impacting potential jurors. But we ultimately agree with the group of news organizations who successfully argued that “the public and press have standing to assert their rights of access to court records and proceedings.”
Public access to body camera footage is key to transparency and accountability, and can help deflate these irresponsible conspiracy theories. That said, the public also needs to stop engaging with the conspiracy hostage takers in the first place. There needs to be accountability, like in the defamation case of Alex Jones and his repeated false claims about the Sandy Hook shooting.
We have to push back against the conspiracy economy that allows people to monetize unfounded speculation and downright lies. That means leaning heavily toward transparency and the public’s right to know in releasing body cameras and other footage. It also means tuning out the conspiracy theorists from the onset, and recognizing that there are people out there who make money and gain influence by exploiting fears rather than seeking facts.
