The GOP response to Pelosi's assault? Conspiracies, mockery, and one heinous "joke"

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     October 31, 2022 Since first learning about the gruesome attack on Paul Pelosi on Friday, something immediately felt off. At the time, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. We've all witnessed shocking political violence in recent years. But this time, a different kind of dread hung over me as more details surrounding the attack were confirmed, previewing a weekend that predictably unfolded with a noxious blend of [conspiracy theories, cruel mockery, and absurd whataboutism](. One particularly [despicable "joke" from the heinous adult son]( of a former president nearly made me sick this morning. As I tried to make sense of everything, I realized that much of my dread over the last few days rested on the realization that to call out such awfulness is to also play the game; it's almost impossible to condemn the right’s response without enriching their hopes of getting "canceled." So what is there to do anymore? Where do we go from here? Are the midterms going to be some kind of reckoning for all this? Will Republicans pay the price for relative silence and mockery? I don't have the answers. But what I do know is that the assault on Pelosi may have been chaotic, even hard to parse, but the assailant certainly didn’t learn to shout “Where’s Nancy?” by himself. —Inae Oh Advertisement [RIP Medical Debt]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The Supreme Court Is Set to Kill Affirmative Action. Just Not for Rich White Kids.]( The dirty secrets of elite college admissions. BY EVAN MANDERY [Fall Fundraising Drive] We need to raise $325,000 over the next month to help fund the hard-hitting journalism you get from us. [It's a pivotal moment]( for our democracy, accountability, and so much more—but you already know that, you're reading Mother Jones. If you can right now, please support our work with a donation so we're ready for the hard work ahead. [Donate]( [Trending] [Of course Republicans are mocking the brutal attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband]( BY INAE OH   [Elon Musk, free speech absolutist, is silent about his Saudi partners]( BY DAN FRIEDMAN   [Experts are seeing a wave of QAnon-linked crimes. The attack on Pelosi's husband might be the latest.]( BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER   [Blaming Larry Krasner for gun violence does not make statistical sense]( BY SAMANTHA MICHAELS Advertisement [RIP Medical Debt]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [JFK Jr.’s iconic magazine is back from the dead. You can thank QAnon.]( “We obviously hope it will bring people to God.” BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755