Thread by @sundersays

I was watching footy today & did not hear @LBC where @MaajidNawaz appears to have justified the violent insurrection in America as the "only option" people had. Nawaz promotes unfounded conspiracies about electoral fraud that US courts & Congress rejected

https://twitter.com/GregoryDavisHNH/status/1348381581782757384

I listened to Nawaz show yesterday & praised the moderate tone which seemed to be a + result of editorial oversight. He did not repeat his Lockdown Kills polemical misinformation at all. But he didn't discuss his views on the US conspiracy theories on Sat

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347939134166466561

On 11th November, Nawaz committed to accept the outcome of the legal process in America. Since then, he has a fair claim to have been the UK's most prominent & persistent champion of a great many unfounded conspiracy theories about the US election.

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347730648090480644

The Washington Post noted that Nawaz repeatedly supports the fraud allegations, featuring him as a rare British champion in its article reporting on the "conspiracy theorists and suspected cults" who have promoted false claims from the Trump campaign

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347472541355487237

I take the advice of @EvanHD that you wouldn't mind hearing less about this. It will happen after Jan 20th. But I do put 3 reasons why Mr Nawaz' persistent promotion of dangerous conspiracies is rather more significant than that of AN Other online troll.

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347859383657619461

Those 3 reasons.
1. He broadcasts on LBC
2. As director of an influential *counter-extremism* think-tank, he should challenge extreme conspiracies, not spread them
3. As he is the UK's most famous deradicalised extremist, this lapse into conspiratorial propaganda is more worrying

Listen to the clip here. Common sense reading: Nawaz presented the Washington insurrectionists as "responsible citizens" left with "no option" because of "messing with free and fair elections". (He ignores/rejects all the legal scrutiny of fraud claims)

https://twitter.com/JibbaJabb/status/1348390523929812992

Nawaz threatened to sue a Tweeter who said he was "a self-publicising shock jock pursuing dangerous conspiracy theories". Many people pushed back, by expressing their honest opinion that this radio host is indeed promoting dangerous conspiracy theories.

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347587547585777664

LBC and Quilliam share a duty of care too.

It seems Mr Nawaz may have had some kind of personal crisis on eve of certification. After 2 months saying he had 'predicted everything that would happen', he has proved unable to acknowledge the actual outcome.

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347719131836133377

His eve of certification crisis seemed related to
* his confidence VP Pence would throw out EC votes
* his belief Trump could act unilaterally after VP refused

Hence Mr Nawaz taunting those saying he'd "lost his mind" over conspiracies, he had "been right all along" (5th Jan)

For newcomers, is it fair to say Mr Nawaz has promoted conspiracies? Maybe he was "just asking questions"?

A TL: DR set of a few indicative examples

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1347630548051701760

Clear proof that a 'reporting' or 'asking questions' claim is not credible, given the persistent pattern of behaviour

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1346739649264447488

For completists, the post-election period in full. My initial expectation (say the process was still open, wait for the court cases, then move on with the result) proved incorrect. That reasonable position seemed to get lost over time

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1346997950845755394

I had naively thought that legitimising and justifying the Capitol insurrection on the radio was going to be the most controversial thing that Mr Nawaz did today, but there is this too

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1348412619858849792