Former chick-lit author, former Conservative British MP, former editor of a libertarian US Newscorp site, Heat Street — and now blogger. Louise Mensch's career trajectory has shifted significantly in the past decade with minimal global attention. However, that all changed on November 7th 2016.
'EXCLUSIVE: FBI 'Granted FISA Warrant' Covering Trump Camp's Ties To Russia' read the Heat Street headline.
EXCLUSIVE: Sources: FBI was granted a FISA warrant in October, in relation to Trump's server's ties to Russian banks https://t.co/mghzIdhK99
— Heat Street (@heatstreet) November 8, 2016
Fast forward two months, and several more high-profile media outlets, including the BBC and the Guardian newspaper, also started reporting that the US Justice Department was investigating communications between Russian banks and a Trump associate.
Mensch was quick to take credit.
No, this is real news. And I am bloody proud I broke it.
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) March 22, 2017
Wikileaks isn't "linked to Russia". It is entirely Putin. https://t.co/KUjHptBYSD https://t.co/QM9Auqh3I3
However, with her new found international fame, Mensch began to make increasingly outlandish claims over a whole plethora of topics.
In often expletive ridden tweets, Mensch has variously claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the murder of US citizen Andrew Breitbart, the founder of far-right news site Breitbart news; that Trump adviser Steve Bannon orchestrated bomb threats against Jewish schools; and that President Obama should have bombed Russia to help win a global cyberwar.
The Jewish Community Centers Association tells NBC News at least 16 Jewish community centers and day schools received bomb threats today.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 27, 2017
Bannon team are doing this obviously https://t.co/r5kFSH9NEe
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) February 28, 2017
A call for "precision bombing raids" by US against Russia, from a former UK Parliament member. To show them who is "alpha." pic.twitter.com/qfQgLiPbnU
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 13, 2016
Louise Mensch is proof you could fart into a British Accent Machine and American cable news anchors would gush over its intelligence
— sick transit, gloria (@samknight1) March 20, 2017
The bizzare twitter output of Ms. Mensch has not prevented her from being praised by some liberal-leaning news outlets, which have praised Mensch's reporting.
@Chemzes Ahh I remember back in the day when she was a joke in England.
— Robert Elessar (@AsapRobE) March 23, 2017
So yeah, Louis Mensch is now blaming yesterday's attack in London on Russia. Got to be performance art or something, right? pic.twitter.com/4aveqDrRYL
— Luke Savage (@LukewSavage) March 23, 2017
On February 17th, the UK Guardian newspaper ran a flattering portrayal of Louise Mensch, praising her ability to land an "extraordinary scoop that had eluded the best investigative journalists in the US" in relation to her November FISA article.
At the end of the piece Mensch boasted:
"I've never been sued because I've never been wrong."
"Everything is Russia's fault." — Louise Mensch
— MasterEvi (@Alpha_MasterEvi) March 23, 2017
"Who ate the last piece of pizza?"
Louise: "Russia!" pic.twitter.com/s3Qp2wmKIu
However, she has been challenged by some journalists on why many of her allegations do not come with accompanying proof.
Then, in March 2017, BBC journalist Andrew Neil questioned: "Aren't you in danger of peddling wild conspiracy theories?"
Towards the end of the interview, prompting the unmistakable mocking laughter of fellow guests, Neil also referred to A Sunday Times newspaper interview, in which Mensch called herself "a temporary superpower."
The testy exchange has not prevented Ms. Mensch from characterising herself as a serious journalist.
However, her continued twitter and TV outburst, far from helping her cultivate a reputation as an investigative reporter, have given Mensch the air of an internet conspiracy theorist.
