Suspect behind attack of Nancy Pelosi’s husband reportedly accused Jews of manufacturing Russia’s war against Ukraine

The man arrested for attacking the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a conspiracy theorist who had posted online that Jews were to blame for the war in Ukraine, according to reports.

David DePape, who was arrested by San Francisco police for allegedly breaking into the Pelosis’ home and attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer, was said to be actively engaged online with conspiracy theories.

As well as theories relating to Ms Pelosi, who has been the focus of online hate by supporters of former US president Donald Trump, Mr DePape was believed to be an administrator of “DaJewbs,” a website devoted to antisemitism, including Holocaust denial.

Many recent items accuse Jews of being behind Russia’s war against Ukraine. One post, which featured an antisemitic caricature, read: “Bomb the country into s*** so the residents leave” then “buy the land up for cheap” adding: “That’s some pretty sick Jewing going on.”

On the following day, an item stated: “The more Ukrainians die needlessly the cheaper the land will be for Jews to buy up.”

The website also carried “reports” about Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kayne West, who has made antisemitic comments.

Additionally, CNN reported that Mr DePapa’s Facebook page, which is no longer available, contained transphobic content and theories about COVID-19 vaccines.

Mr DePape, whom police said would be charged with attempted homicide, joins a number of alleged perpetrators of attacks fuelled by conspiracy theories that are spread online.

These include the alleged killer of ten in Buffalo, New York in May, who attributed his murderous violence to the “Great Replacement Theory” which posits that Jews are behind an effort to replace White people with immigrants and People of Colour, while the alleged perpetrator of a shooting at an LGBTQ+ bar in Slovakia also claimed Jews were to blame for his grievance and should be “murdered.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.