Elon Musk has since deleted the tweet.

Elon Musk has since deleted the tweet.Credit:Bloomberg

In this case,the article recycled a baseless claim that the personal life of Paul Pelosi,the speaker’s husband,somehowplayed a role in an intruder’s attack last week in the couple’s San Francisco home,even though there is no evidence to support that claim.

Musk did so in a reply to a tweet by Hillary Clinton. Her tweet had criticised Republicans for generally spreading “hate and deranged conspiracy theories” and said,“It is shocking,but not surprising,that violence is the result.”

In response to Clinton’s tweet,Musk provided a link to theSanta Monica Observer article and added,“There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye.”

TheLos Angeles Times,the dominant news organisation in the Southern California area where the Observer is located,has said theObserver is “notorious for fake news.”

Paul Pelosi,husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,was attacked in their home.

Paul Pelosi,husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,was attacked in their home.Credit:AP

Police in San Francisco have said the suspect in last week’s attack,identified as David DePape,42,broke into the Pelosi family’s Pacific Heights home early Friday and confronted Paul Pelosi,demanding to know “Where is Nancy?”

The two men struggled over a hammer before officers responding to an emergency call to the home saw DePape strike Paul Pelosi at least once,police said. DePape was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder,elder abuse and burglary. Prosecutors plan to file charges on Monday and expect his arraignment on Tuesday.

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Police say the attack was “intentional” and not random but have not stated publicly what they consider to be the motive.

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The exchange between Musk and Clinton occurred a day after Yoel Roth,Twitter’s head of safety and integrity,tweeted that the company’s policies toward “slurs” and “hateful conduct” were still in place.

“Bottom line up front:Twitter’s policies haven’t changed. Hateful conduct has no place here,” Roth wrote.

Musk himself said Friday that he would form a “content moderation council” for Twitter and promised advertisers that the website would not devolve into a “free for all hellscape.” Musk has also described himself as a “free speech absolutist.”

But at least one major advertiser,General Motors,has said it will suspend advertising on Twitter while it monitors the direction of the platform under Musk.

Also on Sunday,Senator Amy Klobuchar,a Minnesota Democrat,said on NBC’sMeet the Press that she didn’t trust Musk to run Twitter.

Referring to antisemitic conspiracy theories that were advanced online by DePape,the suspect in the attack,Klobuchar said,“I think you have to have some content moderation.”

“If Elon Musk has said now that he’s going to start a content moderation board,” the senator said,“that was one good sign. But I continue to be concerned about that. I just don’t think people should be making money off of passing on this stuff that’s a bunch of lies.”

AP

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