Eric Greitens’ campaign manager pushes false anti-vax conspiracy regarding Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s stroke

The campaign manager for Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens endorsed a conspiracy theory on Twitter Wednesday trying to connect Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s (D-NM) recent stroke to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dylan Johnson cited Dr. Robert Malone, the controversial anti-vaccine virologist, when he falsely implied that Luján’s stroke last month might have been caused by him being fully vaccinated.

“BOMBSHELL: Dr. Robert Malone says New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s recent stroke and brain surgery might be attributable to COVID-19 vaccine,” Johnson wrote. “Lujan was fully vaxxed & boosted.”

#WarRoomPandemic BOMBSHELL: Dr. Robert Malone says New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s recent stroke and brain surgery might be attributable to COVID-19 vaccine.

Lujan was fully vaxxed & boosted.

— Dylan Johnson (@RealDylanMO) February 16, 2022

Dr. Diana Greene-Chandos, a neurologist who helped oversee the Luján’s decompressive brain surgery at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, said testing showed the stroke was caused by a tear in the senator’s vertebral artery.

Johnson appears to be referencing Malone’s Wednesday morning appearance on “Bannon’s War Room” on Real America’s Voice. Speaking with host Steve Bannon, the virologist falsely claimed because of Luján’s relatively young age, there was a “significant possibility” the stroke was caused by Luján getting fully vaccinated.

“This is not a normal thing,” Malone said.

Despite Bannon’s repeated questioning, Malone did not go into specifics, instead reiterating that Luján was fully vaccinated and then had a stroke. When Bannon jokingly asked if correlation equals causation, Malone said, “There’s no way to know.”

While instances of people getting strokes after getting vaccinated have been cited, there is currently no proven link between COVID vaccinations and strokes. In fact, one paper published in November 2020 found that it’s much more common (1.4%) for those infected with COVID-19 to get strokes as a result of the disease.

Johnson previously worked in then-Gov. Greitens’ administration as the “Director of Advance” until Greitens resigned in 2018. Many different investigations, ranging from sexual misconduct allegations to a felony charge over allegedly using a charity donor list for his 2016 gubernatorial campaign, led to Greitens’ resignation, although he denied any wrongdoing.

A recent poll first reported by Politico showed that if Greitens were to become the GOP nominee, he would only hold a slim four-percentage-point lead over Democrat Lucas Kunce in what is otherwise a likely Republican seat.

Follow Austin on Twitter @AuLinfante