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Donald Trump Jr. is taking a slightly different tone from his earlier social media posts poking fun at the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband but continues referencing the incident as he lobs criticisms at his political opponents.
The son of former President Donald Trump on Monday called the attack on Paul Pelosi, 82, "heinous" in a post on Truth Social that also suggested it could have been avoided if California enforced immigration laws. As Paul Pelosi recovers, reactions to his attack have veered into political finger-pointing over the rise in threats and violence facing elected officials. An influential figure in conservative circles, Trump Jr. was criticized earlier for social media posts joking about the attack.
Trump Jr.'s Truth Social post referenced Fox News reporting, citing an unnamed "Immigrations and Customers [sic] Enforcement source," that David DePape, accused of using a hammer in the assault on Paul Pelosi in his San Francisco home Friday, is a Canadian citizen in the U.S. illegally after having overstayed his visa.
"So they're saying that if California actually enforced our immigration laws this heinous attack would never have happened?" Trump Jr. said in the post. "Good to know."
California and other Democratic-led jurisdictions have long faced criticism from conservatives for restricting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Following the attack, a picture of a hammer and a pair of men's underwear that was captioned "got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready" began circulating online. The caption's mention of underwear is a reference to an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that Paul Pelosi was not fully dressed and fighting with a male prostitute when he was found by police.
Trump Jr. indicated he was enjoying the joke, writing in a tweet Sunday, "The internet remains undefeated." He also added, "if you switch out the hammer for a red feather boa you could be Hunter Biden in an instant," a jab at President Joe Biden's son.
Trump Jr. earlier on Monday deleted from his Instagram account a crude meme using an altered image from the satirical cartoon South Park that referenced the conspiracy theory around Paul Pelosi, reports the Daily Beast.
Details about the suspect in the attack have emerged. DePape, 42, grew up in the city of Powell River, British Columbia, before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area where he was active in nudist circles and was known to fashion jewelry products out of hemp.
DePape also actively trafficked in right-wing conspiracy theories around the 2020 presidential election, COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements, and QAnon.
At the time of the attack, Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., with her security detail. The Associated Press earlier reported that DePape had entered the couple's residence shouting, "Where's Nancy?" before the assault on her husband, police said.
Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
About the writer
Jake Thomas is a Newsweek night reporter based in Portland, Oregon. His focus is U.S. national politics, crime and public ... Read more