Hammergate: Politico blames Trump supporters for 'baseless claim’ started by Politico

Politico Monday took aim at “pro-Trump commentators” who spread a “baseless claim” about Friday’s incident involving Paul Pelosi, despite the claim being originated by Politico. 

According to reports, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband called 911 around 2:30 AM Friday to report an intruder, whom Pelosi told police was his “friend” and identified as “David”. When police arrived, they found Pelosi and suspect David DePape both in their underwear, struggling over a hammer. DePape wrested the hammer from Pelosi and struck him with it before being hauled away by police. 

Politico reported Sunday that when police officers arrived at the Pelosi house while the two men were struggling, they were let in “by an unknown person.”   

“David DePape forced his way into the home through a back entrance, [SF Police Chief] Scott said. Officers arrived at the house, knocked on the front door and were let inside by an unknown person. They discovered DePape and Pelosi struggling for a hammer, and after they instructed them to drop the weapon, Scott said, DePape took the hammer and ‘violently attacked’ Pelosi.” 

Those who questioned the media’s instant, open-and-shut narrative that DePape was a member of the Far-Right who was trying to harm Nancy Pelosi cited Politico’s statement about an unknown third party in the house. 

“[C]an anyone explain who this ‘unknown’ third person was who was there and who was apparently able to let the police in during an active home invasion?” asked political commentator Benny Johnson. 

“’Let inside by an unknown person’. That detail seems important. Why don't we know who this person is?” echoed Stephen Miller. 

“I'd like to know: * How someone broke into the home of one of the richest and most powerful families without setting off an alarm. * How Paul Pelosi could call 9/11 [sic] in the middle of this. * Who is the ‘unknown’ person who opened the door for the police? * Where is the video?” tweeted Pulitzer Prize-winning Trump critic Glenn Greenwald. 

“Why did Paul Pelosi call his attacker his ‘friend’? Why was he wearing underwear? Who let the police into the house? Why haven’t we seen the security or body cam video? Or is it just more convenient to smear millions of conservatives?” asked Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk. 

On Monday, Politico attacked Trump supporters for suggesting there was a third person in the house. 

Beyond Trump Jr. and Higgins, pro-Trump commentators from Charlie Kirk to former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. [It is unclear where in his tweet David Clarke Jr. weighed in on this] also weighed in online to raise questions about the investigation based on unfounded and false claims. Among those baseless claims: that a third person answered the door when police arrived at the Pelosi home, which San Francisco law enforcement has said is untrue; and that DePape was in his underwear when apprehended, a falsehood taken from a since-corrected local news report.” 

Politico also changed the wording of the “baseless claim” in its original report. Instead of “unknown person,” the article now states that “someone — they didn’t specify who — opened from the inside.”