The billionaire philanthropist has been the target of right-leaning (and anti-Semitic) conspiracy theories.
A bomb was found in the mailbox of billionaire philanthropist George Soros — the subject of rampant conspiracy theories and threats from the conspiratorial right — on Monday.
Law enforcement officials in Bedford, New York, told the New York Times that an employee working at Soros’s home found the package in the mailbox and called police, who “proactively detonated” the device. Law enforcement later told the Associated Press that the device was “a bomb with explosive powder.” Soros was not at home at the time the bomb was discovered.
After making a fortune running a hedge fund in the 1960s and 1970s, George Soros has donated millions to progressive causes in the United States and abroad via his Open Society Foundations.
Police have not released any information about possible suspects or motives.
Soros, though, has long been a subject of right-wing conspiracy theories — including comedian Roseanne Barr accusing him of being a Nazi (a comment retweeted by Donald Trump, Jr.). As the midterm elections approach, the rhetoric against Soros has only increased, as I noted in previous reporting:
More recently, President Donald Trump has tweeted that Soros was paying protestors to confront senators over the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Conservative commentators falsely accused one of the women who came forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, Deborah Ramirez, of having ties to Soros.
Soros has also been blamed for the migrant caravan currently making its way through southern Mexico, with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) sharing a video of migrants receiving cash and accusing Soros of being responsible.
