Trump superfan and Republican National Convention speaker Scott Baio, formerly in-charge as Charles of “Charles in Charge” and Chachi of “Joanie Loves Chachi,” wonders what his Twitter followers think of a meme suggesting Heather Heyer’s death is an anti-right conspiracy.
Heyer is the protester who was killed earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia, during the “Unite the Right” rally that was major congregation of Ku Klux Klan members, white supremacists and neo-Nazis. A car allegedly driven by a rally goer slammed into counter-protesters, killing Heyer and injuring 19 others. Heyer’s mother, Susan Bro, has appeared on several news reports and other television shows since her daughter’s death.
On Twitter, Baio shared a meme suggesting that Bro is the same person as Donna Soto, the mother of teacher Vicki Soto, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.
Thankfully the internet is forever pic.twitter.com/amZe2i1Xkn
— Wally Brown (@wallybrowns8) August 24, 2017
Essentially, Baio shared a tweet suggesting that Heyer’s death, allegedly at the hands of a white supremacist, and the Sandy Hook shooting, are both hoaxes — and that the women speaking out in the media about them are actually one and the same.
The idea that the Sandy Hook shooting was actually a hoax or a false flag attack perpetrated by the government is a conspiracy theory that’s been around since the shooting itself, mostly perpetuated by people like Alex Jones of Infowars. Baio floating the two as related isn’t a coincidence: At the time of the Sandy Hook shooting, far-right conspiracy theorists claimed the fake mass murder was an attempt to enact stricter gun laws, take away the Second Amendment, and essentially foist tyranny on the U.S.
Drawing the parallel to the accusation that white supremacists attacked counter-protesters and killed one suggests similar sentiments: A conspiracy against the right wing.
Baio went on the defensive as people called him out about sharing the meme, which he claimed was not an endorsement, just asking for opinions from his followers.
Me asking for thoughts on a meme does NOT mean I believe or approve of it. I asked 4 thoughts. That's it. Stop spinning untruths.
— Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) August 24, 2017
,@DewsNewz @DarLovesAmerica You better not ask yourself, question, or ask others their thoughts, or liberals will condemn you!
— Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) August 25, 2017
Those that follow me clearly know I always posts links or RT links w/ "Thoughts" caption or commentary. It does NOT mean I agree or accept.
— Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) August 25, 2017
He also deleted the tweet, but as mentioned above, unfortunately, the Internet is forever.