Talk:Pizzagate conspiracy theory

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Q1: Why does Wikipedia say that Pizzagate is "debunked"?

All known reliable sources say the theory was either proven to be false or debunked. Our neutrality policy and our guideline on fringe theories explicitly warn us against presenting a false balance of unsupported and supported claims.

Q2: But what about all the evidence collected on social media?

Our policies prohibit us from engaging in original research, or from using material drawn from user generated content. This includes most blogs and social media sites such as Reddit, Facebook, and 4chan.

Q3: How about the Wikileaks e-mails?

The Wikileaks e-mails are primary sources, and we are required to be extremely cautious with them when using them to make assertions about living people. Extensive use of primary sources is prohibited by our policy prohibiting original research.

Q4: Why doesn't this article simply present the evidence and let readers decide for themselves?

This article is about allegations that living people have committed exceptionally heinous crimes. As such, we are legally and ethically obliged to remove potentially defamatory material and to avoid even the suggestion that these people have committed any crimes without credible allegations supported by exceptionally reliable sources. Users who persistently or egregiously violate this policy may be blocked from editing. Additionally, it is our purpose to build an encyclopedia. This means documenting all aspects of the subject, including summarizing any conclusions on the subject made by reliable sources.

Q5: Why isn't the article called simply "Pizzagate"?

Due to the "-gate" suffix implying some sort of genuine scandal, letting the name stand alone may unintentionally lend credence to an unsupported conspiracy theory.

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Article milestones
Date	Process	Result
November 30, 2016	Miscellany for deletion	Kept
August 24, 2018	Good article nominee	Listed
December 26, 2019	Peer review	Not reviewed
May 17, 2019	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
Current status: Good article

On 22 July 2023, it was proposed that this article be moved to Pizzagate (conspiracy theory). The result of the discussion was not moved.

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Text and/or other creative content from this version of Pizzagate conspiracy theory was copied or moved into List of "-gate" scandals with this edit. The former page's history now serves to provide attribution for that content in the latter page, and it must not be deleted as long as the latter page exists.

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Semi-protected edit request on 12 August 2024

This is not a forum for discussing the topic, and we really don't care what TikTok influencers are saying. — The Hand That Feeds You:^Bite 19:47, 13 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

As a tiktok influencer pizzagate isn't only limited to people interested in dance moves or BLM if you search #pizzagate on tiktok and view the top and majority of the users profiles talking about it none if them relate to either of those so not sure why that was approved without research with an article like this. 2601:881:200:F770:4C34:6FBD:A090:FD22 (talk) 12:35, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Because RS did. Slatersteven (talk) 12:37, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Charliehdb (talk) 14:53, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Welch was killed

According to a report on CNN, Welch was killed yesterday, see https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/09/politics/pizzagate-gunman-killed-police-shooting/index.html?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc --Cholo Aleman (talk) 14:55, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And what has this death to do with Pizzagate? Slatersteven (talk) 14:57, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

He's the dude who wandered in with a gun and demanded to see the basement of a place that had no basement. GMG ^talk 15:10, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but what has his killing got to do with it, how is the killing related? Slatersteven (talk) 15:34, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

He was the perpetrator of the entire Comet Ping Pong pizza shop hostage situation, so I'd say his death is relevant. — The Hand That Feeds You:^Bite 15:52, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm unsure what your revert has to do with it being "unrelated." I added a preamble "Eight years after the initial incident at Comet Ping Pong, ..." because I wanted to make clear the temporal distance from the original gun discharge event. This seems to me important as someone skim reading could carry away the impression that Welch was shot in the restaurant. All the best: Rich Farmbrough 18:17, 10 January 2025 (UTC).[reply]

Because his shooting was not related to pizzagate, but to an unrelated offense. It literally tells us nothing about this conspiracy theory. THis page is not about him. Slatersteven (talk) 18:21, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

OK, turns out you made two reverts, one of which was a shotgun revert of my changes. The second one was to remove all reference to his death. The bulk of your reverts has been reverted. Since you are only concerned with presence of a discussion of his death on this page, I will reinstate my other changes. In a separate edit I will reinstate the "eight years" contextualization, which, if anything, should make the text more palatable to you. Please do not make any more shotgun reverts.

I support having a sentence about his death on this page. I suspect it should not be where it is, maybe I'll move it, maybe I won't.

All the best: Rich Farmbrough 19:24, 10 January 2025 (UTC).[reply]

He is one of the most notable Pizzagate individuals due to his actions at Comet Ping Pong. His death, after a string of further convictions & parole violations, seems relevant to this page. — The Hand That Feeds You:^Bite 19:25, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Protected edit request 10 January 2025

Welch's death by police is described twice with the same details in the "Criminal Responses" - once at the end of the fourth paragraph and once in the newly-created final paragraph. Please remove one. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.193.204.66 (talk) 21:43, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The two mentions of his shooting death do not agree on the date. And the first says that he was shot and killed, but then says he did not die until two days later. Jeepien (talk) 17:31, 22 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

He was shot, taken to the hospital, and died later, per sources. I've removed the redundant paragraph & moved the relevant cite to the later paragraph. — The Hand That Feeds You:^Bite 14:32, 23 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]