Isabella DeLuca
Isabella DeLuca | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1, 2000 Setauket, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stony Brook University |
| Organization(s) | Turning Point USA, Republicans for National Renewal |
| Political party | Republican |
Isabella Maria DeLuca (born February 1, 2000)[1] is an American conservative political activist and social media personality. She was charged for participating in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[2]
Early life
[edit]DeLuca was raised in Setauket, New York. She attended Stony Brook University, where she served as an ambassador for Turning Point USA.[3] She spoke at a September 2021 anti-vaccine rally on campus organized by the university's Turning Point chapter.[4] In October 2021, DeLuca claimed that she faced expulsion from the university for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, which was mandated by the school at the time.[5] She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in political science.[3]
Career
[edit]In September 2019, Charlie Kirk posted a picture of himself with DeLuca, claiming that she was a victim of a hate crime for being beaten up over wearing a Trump shirt.[6]
On October 17, 2020, DeLuca, while serving as the outreach director for the Republicans for National Renewal, attended a counter-protest to the Women's March at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C. DeLuca claimed she was "punched in the face and choked by two women" in the Women's March for "holding a Trump flag here at the Supreme Court". The Women's March was organized to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.[7] Fox News also reported on DeLuca's claims that her Facebook account was shut down for posting about the incident.[8] Snopes concluded that there was no evidence to support DeLuca's claims that she was attacked by Black Lives Matter activists and that "the evidence and testimony in support of the claim that she was the victim of a unilateral assault, as opposed to being hurt during a fight, or even after instigating violence, is not definitive."[7]
In April 2021, DeLuca began working as an intern for New York representative Lee Zeldin.[9] DeLuca worked as an intern for Arizona representative Paul Gosar from September 12, 2022 to January 30, 2023.[10]
In January 2024, DeLuca was involved in a social media altercation with former Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff, which led to Huff temporarily deleting his Twitter account.[11]
January 6 involvement
[edit]On March 15, 2024, DeLuca was arrested in Irvine, California for participating in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, charged with theft of government property, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct and demonstrating in a Capitol building. According to a complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, DeLuca helped steal a table which was used as a weapon against law enforcement. After passing it out of a broken window, she used her cellphone to record the rioting and later deleted social media posts in a likely attempt to thwart a criminal investigation.[12]
Following her arrest, the Gold Institute for International Strategy, which hired DeLuca as an unpaid volunteer media associate responsible for updating the institute's online social media profile, said they "felt it necessary to sever our relationship" with DeLuca.[13]
Reception
[edit]Slate credited DeLuca's popularity partially to being "young, blond, and conventionally attractive", but also for her social media profile as "a brash, outspoken, attractive woman professing traditional ideas about gender norms, with her sexuality often framed as being reserved for a theoretical 'future husband'."[6] The South China Morning Post described her as a "glam conservative influencer" who may be the "female Andrew Tate".[14]
References
[edit]- ^ Ali, Tanvir (2024-01-07). "Who is Isabella DeLuca? Influencer's Wiki, Age, and Rise to Stardom". BOL News. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Social media influencer is charged with joining the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol". AP News. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ a b Crabtree, Sky. "Stony Brook alum arrested for participating in Jan. 6 Capitol riot". The Statesman. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ Lynders, Maria. "Turning Point USA holding anti-mandatory vaccine protest on campus". The Statesman. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Stony Brook Student Beaten for Backing Amy Coney Barrett Faces Barrett-Backed Vax Rule Expulsion – The Ohio Star". theohiostar.com. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ a b Olmstead, Molly (2024-03-25). "A Capitol Rioter Has Become a Right-Wing Media Darling. She Just Got Arrested". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ a b MacGuill, Dan (2020-10-20). "Did Women's March Protesters Assault a Woman for Carrying Trump 2020 Flag?". Snopes. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ Betz, Bradford (2020-10-19). "Woman claims Facebook took down her account after posting about her assault at pro-Trump rally in DC". Fox News. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Jan. 6 defendant got 2 congressional internships after she allegedly breached the building".
- ^ MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod. "One of Paul Gosar's former interns has been charged with storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 • Arizona Mirror". Arizona Mirror. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Disgraced former SF Giants star gets embarrassed into deleting X account". San Francisco Giants On SI. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Conservative social media influencer charged for her role in Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "Conservative influencer helped steal a table used to assault officers on Jan. 6, FBI says". NBC News. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "Is glam conservative influencer Isabella DeLuca the 'female Andrew Tate'?". South China Morning Post. 2024-03-24. Retrieved 2024-11-06.