The conspiracy theories surrounding Trump’s shooting – Firstpost

“False flag.”

“Staged”

Minutes after news broke that a man – now identified as 20-year-old registered Republican Thomas Matthew Crooks – attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, conspiracy theories flooded social media across the United States and around the world.

The assassination attempt on Trump – the first in nearly 45 years in which an assassin has attempted to kill a president or former president – has already become a central issue in the election campaign. And with little to no information about the shooter’s motive, theories continue to circulate online that will also influence the US presidential election scheduled for November.

“Staged” goes viral

Shortly after Trump was shot, with one of the shots grazing his right ear, “staged” quickly became the second most trending topic on X, with over 228,000 posts on the platform using the word.

Many posts have claimed that the shooting was staged by none other than Trump’s team to galvanize his supporters and gain sympathy. However, there is no evidence whatsoever that this is true – Trump was visibly injured, one bystander was killed, and two others remain seriously injured.

Posts on Meta, Instagram and other channels also reflected similar sentiments.

Actress Amanda Seales said in a video posted on social media: “This crap was more staged than a Tyler Perry production of Madea Runs for President. I lived in Harlem long enough to know that gunshots don’t sound like popcorn making on the stove.”

Another post on X said: “It looks very staged. No one in the crowd is running or panicking. No one in the crowd heard a real gun. I don’t trust him. I don’t trust him.”

Others also posted that the fact that Trump raised his hand on stage – the image has since gone viral – suggested that the event was staged. “Stage to get pity? These people can’t be trusted and no, I won’t pray for him,” wrote another commenter from the US.

Dmitri Mehlhorn, a well-known Democratic strategist, believed that this ‘shooting’ was encouraged and perhaps even staged so that Trump could get the photos and profit from the backlash.”

In an email to journalists, he wrote: “Not a single newspaper or opinion leader in America is willing to openly consider the possibility that Trump and Putin deliberately orchestrated this. Ask the question, folks.” He later apologized for the email, saying: WashingtonPost: “We must condemn this violence in every case and without reservation. Any other topic is a distraction.”

Also read: How AR-15, the weapon of the Trump shooter, became America’s most popular weapon

The staged theory received even more attention after an on-site BBC In an interview with a man outside the rally on Saturday, he said he flagged down security guards after seeing Crooks move into firing position, but his warnings were ignored.

Matt Wallace, a right-wing online personality, wrote on X: “After the release of this film clip, rumors are circulating that the Trump assassination attempt was an inside job. Pay attention to what the Secret Service agent does seconds earlier, and watch a clip that appears to show Trump’s security personnel rushing onto the stage and then pausing seconds before the shots are fired.

The Deep State in Play

While many theorized that the assassination was a staged attack, there were others who called it a “deep state conspiracy” hatched by President Joe Biden. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ranted in a video on X that this was the start of a much broader effort by the deep state to kill powerful figures in America, including Biden and Musk.

“Elon, you should go to your bunker immediately, this is a real coup,” Jones wrote on X in a post that has been viewed 6.4 million times.

Another conspiracy theorist, known as Shadow of Ezra, wrote on X: “The Deep State attempted to assassinate Donald Trump on live TV.” In another post, the user described the shooting as “the price you pay for taking down elite satanic pedophiles.”

And it’s not just conspiracy theorists pushing the “deep state” narrative. Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia posted on X that “Joe Biden gave the orders,” which received over four million views, and later called for Biden to be charged with “incitement of assassination.”

Read also: In graphics | The long history of assassinations of US presidents

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene felt that the press and Democrats as a whole were responsible for the shooting. “Someone just tried to MURDER President Trump. The Democrats and the media are responsible for every drop of blood shed today,” she wrote. “For years they have demonized him and his supporters. Today someone finally tried to take out the leader of our America First and the greatest president of all time.”

Antifa trends on the Internet

Another trending topic on X was “Antifa.” Some posts blamed a “prominent Antifa activist,” Mark Violets, for the shooting. These false accusations garnered millions of views on X when he attempted to set the record straight on Instagram.

Other conspiracies

Even more bizarre theories have circulated in other corners of the internet. Some have gone so far as to blame China; others have pointed the finger at the Mossad, billionaire philanthropist George Soros, former President Barack Obama and even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – all claims for which there is no evidence whatsoever.

The shooting occurred less than four months before the Nov. 5 election, and with conspiracy theories spreading, many fear there could be more violence this election cycle.

With contributions from agencies

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