The former secretary of state and two-time presidential candidate acknowledged during a recent podcast appearance that the infamous “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory that dogged her failed White House bid was a “really effective” attack, while once again pointing the finger at Russia and Facebook.
“I think Pizzagate was really effective when people, you know, when these ads against me, these really terrible, horrible, false claims about me were running all over the internet, some with Russian money for heaven’s sakes,” Clinton said.
Clinton argued that the most damaging material aimed at her campaign spread online rather than through traditional channels. “Most of the really effective ads and memes and claims and conspiracies about me happened online,” she said, adding that Facebook was “the worst offender.”
Pizzagate, which was thoroughly debunked, alleged that Clinton and top Democrats ran a child sex-trafficking ring out of the basement of Comet Ping Pong, a pizzeria in Washington, D.C. The restaurant has no basement. The theory took root in the fall of 2016 after WikiLeaks published emails hacked from the account of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, which some online users falsely claimed contained coded messages.
The conspiracy turned dangerous in December 2016, when Edgar Welch, then 28, walked into the restaurant with an AR-15 and fired shots, claiming he was investigating the rumors. No one was hurt, and Welch was later sentenced to four years in prison.
Clinton’s remarks came as she weighed in on a controversial campaign ad in Ohio’s governor’s race. Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign ran a spot featuring the estranged mother of Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio’s former state health director. Clinton urged outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has condemned the ad, to go further and say he would not vote for Ramaswamy.
DeWine, who is term-limited, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” last week and urged the Ramaswamy campaign to take it down, but said he would not change his endorsement. He also noted that Acton’s campaign had previously mentioned Ramaswamy’s mother in a line of attack, saying family members have historically been off-limits.
The ad has split Ohio Republicans. Vice President JD Vance defended it during a campaign stop in the state, saying he was “disgusted” by fellow Republicans complaining about it. President Trump also weighed in on social media, slamming DeWine as disloyal over his criticism.
It is not the first time Pizzagate has resurfaced for Clinton this year. During her closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee in its Jeffrey Epstein investigation, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., questioned her about the theory. Clinton called it “totally made up” and later complained that she had been asked about UFOs and Pizzagate.
Clinton recently launched “High Stakes,” a weekly midterm-focused podcast with journalist Kara Swisher, as part of an effort to boost Democratic candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.
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