Old blog posts reveal Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman spread 9/11 conspiracies
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- Before he became a member of Congress in 2021, Rep. Jamaal Bowman was a middle school principal.
- While leading the school, he also maintained a personal blog: Relentless-Strongback.Blogspot.com
- The Daily Beast uncovered that Bowman spread 9/11 conspiracies in some of his writings.
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman posted 9/11 conspiracy theories on a personal blog of his before entering public office, a new report has revealed.
According to The Daily Beast, Bowman used to publish his thoughts and ideas onto "Relentless-Strongback.Blogspot.com." The website's contents have since been removed, but parts of it can still be accessed via the Internet Archive.
On Bowman's blog, which he maintained during his pre-congressional career as a middle school principal in New York City, he wrote about the news and his feelings. He also sometimes appeared to question the accepted history of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"Hmm.../Multiple explosions/Heard before/And during the collapse/Hmm…" he reportedly wrote in one post.
"Allegedly/Two other planes/The Pentagon/Pennsylvania/Hijacked by terrorist/Minimal damage done/Minimal debris found/Hmm…" he said in another.
Pressed on his past writings, Bowman explained in a statement to Business Insider that he does not actually believe the theories he espoused in his more than a decade-old blog and regrets posting them since he "learned how misinformation spreads."
"I don't believe anything that these cranks have said, and my life's work has proven that," he said. "As a Congressman, I've written a Congressional Resolution condemning a dangerous conspiracy theory, I've stood up to MAGA extremists, and I've called out the endless bullshit of the far-right."
"I of course do not believe any of these conspiracy theories that are pushed by the same right-wing fanatics who have always been opposed to my candidacy and my presence in Congress," Bowman added.
The New York Democrat, who joined Congress in 2021, made headlines late in 2023 after he appeared to pull a Capitol fire alarm right before the House was set to vote on a government funding bill.
He was later censured in the lower chamber and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and fine issued by the Department of Justice.
Bowman has drawn a serious Democratic primary contender in recent months because of his public critique of Israel's ongoing military operation against Hamas, where Israeli strikes have killed more than 25,000 people.