Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has come under fire for his recent tweets concerning the debunked conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate." Musk, who describes himself as a "free-speech absolutist," shared posts on his social media platform X that questioned aspects of the theory, which gained notoriety after a shooting incident at a Washington DC restaurant in 2016. Pizzagate was a conspiracy theory that alleged high-profile Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, were running a child sex trafficking ring out of the basement of Comet Ping Pong, a popular pizza joint in the city.

The origins of the theory can be traced back to hacked emails from John Podesta, Clinton's campaign manager, which were released by WikiLeaks. These emails mentioned James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong and a Democratic donor, and hinted at a possible fundraiser for the Clinton campaign. This mention of Alefantis sparked the attention of users on the anonymous message board 4Chan, known for fostering extreme beliefs. They began targeting Alefantis' social media accounts, citing photos of children and construction in the restaurant's basement as evidence of criminal activity.

The conspiracy theorists further claimed that certain words used in the emails, such as “pizza” and "cheese," were code words for illegal actions. They linked "cheese pizza" to the initials "c.p," which is reportedly used on dark web forums to denote child pornography. Other seemingly innocent food terms like “hotdog” and “pasta” were also alleged to be nefarious codewords referring to minors. Additionally, the restaurant's signage was interpreted as satanic symbols, fueling speculation about satanic rituals and cannibalism taking place at Comet Ping Pong.

As the claims gained traction online, they spread to mainstream platforms like Facebook and even reached international audiences in the UK and Saudi Arabia. James Alefantis and his staff received death threats and threats to burn down the pizzeria, leading to heightened security measures. The situation escalated when 29-year-old Edgar Welch from North Carolina entered Comet Ping Pong armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and two other weapons. Though no one was harmed, Welch discharged his rifle multiple times, attempting to force open a locked room he believed held child sex slaves. He later confessed that he had come to investigate the Pizzagate allegations, despite the fact that the restaurant has no basement. Welch pleaded guilty to charges related to the incident and served four years in prison.

Despite the shooting incident, Pizzagate did not fade away. Instead, it became intertwined with the QAnon conspiracy theory, which gained significant popularity in far-right circles. QAnon revolves around an anonymous figure known as "Q," who posts cryptic messages on internet forums. Followers believe that these messages predict a forthcoming purge of the "deep state," led by former President Donald Trump and his allies. According to QAnon, this purge will expose and bring justice to a network of prominent individuals, including the Clintons, Oprah Winfrey, and the late Jeffrey Epstein, who are alleged to be part of a global elite involved in heinous crimes.

The resurgence of Pizzagate in Elon Musk's recent tweets has attracted criticism, as people accuse him of promoting baseless conspiracy theories. Musk's actions have reignited discussions about the responsibility of influential figures in spreading misinformation and the potential consequences it may have.