'Pizzagate' Is not Dead

Hey, this is Angelo Paura . In the parallel world of the post-truth culture spread by the former U.S. President Donald Trump, rumors persist about a ring of pedophiles engaged in ritual Satanic abuse, allegedly centered in an anonymous pizza joint in the heart of Washington, DC. Even after more than seven years, the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory continues to be a topic of discussion on infamous far-right and alt-right message boards worldwide. Recently, it saw a resurgence in interest thanks to Elon Musk, who shared a meme on X, explaining to his 165 million followers that, indeed, "Pizzagate" is real.

In this issue, we will endeavor to comprehend the origins of this discredited conspiracy, why it maintains relevance today, and its anticipated longevity in the years ahead. Let’s go ??!

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?? 'Pizzagate' in a nutshell. "Pizzagate" emerged during the 2016 U.S. presidential election as a baseless conspiracy theory alleging high-ranking Democratic figures—such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her then-campaign chairman John Podesta—participated in a child sex trafficking ring operating from Comet Ping Pong, a Washington, D.C. pizzeria.

??? The facts. A month before the elections, in October 2016, WikiLeaks released a series of files with emails hacked from the account of John Podesta, then Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman. In these emails Podesta spoke with his brother, the lobbyist Tony Podesta, about dinner plans including having pizza together. In the same set of emails Podesta corresponded with James Alefantis, the owner of a pizza parlor called Comet Ping Pong. Alefantis had connections to Democratic operatives. In October 2016, WikiLeaks published a series of hacked emails from John Podesta's account, then a part of Hillary Clinton's campaign. Among these were exchanges where Podesta discussed dinner plans, including mentions of having pizza with his brother, the lobbyist Tony Podesta. In the same series of emails Podesta corresponded with James Alefantis, owner of Comet Ping Pong. Alefantis had ties to Democratic operatives. Although the Podesta emails are no longer on WikiLeaks' site, an archived version exists.

?? The birth of a conspiracy. During the crucial stage of the Clinton-Trump presidential race in 2016, the conspiracy website Godlike Productions alleged that Podesta's leaked emails contained coded words used by the Democratic Party to manage a child trafficking ring for satanic rituals and abuse. This purported occult world centered around Comet Ping Pong in Washington D.C., leading to the term "Pizzagate." This theory intertwined with other conspiracies propagated by Alex Jones's InfoWars, forming the basis of QAnon. Subsequently, various alt-right figures among Donald Trump’s supporters attempted to uncover evidence, posting speculative analogies and obscure analyses from Podesta's emails on platforms like 4chan, 8chan, Reddit, and other social media. "Pizzagate" gained traction within weeks, fueled by thousands of alt-right supporters and Russian trolls disseminating false information about a supposed police investigation, FBI involvement, and an alleged cover-up attempt by the Democratic elite.

?? Elon Strikes Again. A 2018 BuzzFeed News investigation revealed that following its peak in 2016, several Russian trolls consistently reposted the conspiracy to sustain its momentum. Subsequently, after a period of dormancy, on Wednesday, November 28th, Elon Musk reposted an X post affirming “does seem at least a little suspicious,” accompanying a meme inspired by the TV show 'The Office.' The meme featured fabricated dialogue overlaid on images of a character affirming “Pizzagate is real.” Starting from November 20th, Musk has engaged in discussions related to "Pizzagate" on four separate occasions via his responses to tweets. These posts represent a recent resurgence of the discredited theory, specifically targeting baseless implications that journalists were involved in the conspiracy. More in general, "Pizzagate" is an evergreen topic on alt-right social media according to a paper published in 2023 by the criminologist Paul Bleakley titled "Panic, pizza and mainstreaming the alt-right: A social media analysis of Pizzagate and the rise of the QAnon conspiracy."

???From Trento to Reptilians: 'Pizzagate' before 'Pizzagate'

The false accusation of blood libel. In Medieval Europe the Jewish minority was persecuted for blood libel, an unfounded and malicious accusation that Jewish communities used the blood of Christian children for religious rituals. One of the most known incidents happened in Trento, Italy,? in the late 15th century: in 1475, the body of a young boy named Simon was found in a canal in Trento. His death sparked rumors and accusations against the Jewish community, claiming that they had kidnapped and killed Simon for ritual purposes. These false allegations resulted in the arrest, torture, and execution of several Jewish individuals in Trento.

Reptilians, David Icke and Alex Jones. Recent false narratives have extended into allegations of satanic rituals involving toddlers. The conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, recently reinstated on X by Elon Musk, catapulted into the limelight with a video purportedly showcasing a ritual linked to his depiction of the secretive Bohemian Club. Jones claimed that an exclusive cadre, comprising politicians and influential figures, convened annually at California's Bohemian Grove for clandestine rituals and discussions intertwined with occult practices and global agendas. In 2000, Jones infiltrated the Bohemian Grove, capturing footage of the gathering, which he wielded to substantiate his assertions. However, his claims about the meetings' nature and sinister intentions have largely been discredited as exaggerated or baseless conspiracy theories. Concurrently, since the late 90s, David Icke has propagated the Reptilian conspiracy theory, positing that a shape-shifting alien race governs the world and engages in alleged satanic rituals involving children.

?? Real implications. On December 4th, 2016, 28-year-old Edgar M. Welch from North Carolina entered Comet wielding a military-style rifle and a handgun. Law enforcement reported that he fired the rifle inside the pizzeria, causing no injuries, and then surrendered after finding no evidence supporting the claims of child enslavement alleged to have occurred there. At the time, Welch, described by US media as a struggling 28-year-old warehouse worker, was arrested and later released in May 2020.

FBI has not announced 'Pizzagate' is real

False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared the claim that the FBI have officially confirmed in recent weeks that the conspiracy theory known as “Pizzagate” is real.

Truth:?

• A search on the internet shows that the claim that the FBI had confirmed that “Pizzagate” is real first appeared in an article published on November 23 on the website The People's Voice –previously called Your News Wire and NewsPunch–, famous for promoting disinformation and conspiracy theories.?

• The article claims that the FBI made the alleged announcement about “Pizzagate” in court documents related to the arrest of Clinton Harnden on November 13 in Texas on charges of possession of child pornography.?

• In statements to the Associated Press, Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI's office in Texas, said the agency has made no statements regarding “Pizzagate” in the documents related to Clinton Harnden's case.

Journalist arrested in child pornography case has no connection to “Pizzagate”

False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared a screenshot of a purported article from the New York Post with the headline “Award winning ABC journalist who 'debunked' Pizzagate, pleads guilty in horrific child porn case,” accompanied by an alleged photo of the journalist. Also on social media, users have shared a meme that makes a clear reference to the alleged article published by the New York Post, including Elon Musk, who added the following comment in his post: “Does seem at least a little suspicious.”

Truth:

• A reverse image search shows that the picture illustrating the alleged New York Post article is of former ABC News journalist James Gordon Meek, who in September 2023 was sentenced to 6 years in prison “for transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.”

• A search on the ABC News website shows that Meek, who covered national security issues until his resignation last year, never published any reports on “Pizzagate.”

• A search on the New York Post website shows that no article with the title that went viral on social media was published by the newspaper.

• Elon Musk later deleted the meme promoting the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory from his account on X.

Questions, ideas? Please shoot an email to [email protected] or share your thoughts in the comments. This week It’s not True was written and produced by Angelo Paura in New York. The roundup is written by Mel Bruno in London and edited by Angelo Paura.

All images ? Blasting News Creative Department.?

Don't forget to subscribe and happy holidays ?? ??. See you in 2024 with more "pizza" and less "gates." https://lnkd.in/eE3naP2Q