False Claims and Conspiracy Theories Flood Social Media After Trump Rally Shooting

[Social Media]

 

In the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, social media became inundated with conspiracy theories, false claims, and unsupported assertions. The incident, which left Trump visibly injured, a spectator dead, and another injured, quickly turned into a hotbed for speculative discourse across various online platforms.

 

The scarcity of concrete details following the shooting created a vacuum that conspiracy theorists, political operatives, and social media influencers were quick to fill. On platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), posts about the incident gained significant traction almost immediately. The rapid dissemination of misinformation was evident as videos of the shooting circulated widely, amassing millions of views. The term "staged" swiftly became the second-highest trending topic on X, right after "Trump." Within an hour, numerous posts claiming that the shooting was staged were viewed millions of times, despite the lack of any supporting evidence. In reality, the incident was far from a fabrication: Trump had been visibly injured, and both a spectator and another individual had suffered injuries.

 

Meta's Instagram and Threads also saw a proliferation of false narratives, though to a smaller audience. One of the most prominent unfounded claims was that the gunman was a “prominent Antifa activist” named Mark Violets. This misinformation rapidly became a top trending topic on X. However, law enforcement had not released any information about the shooter’s identity or background at that time.

 

Such misidentifications are not uncommon in the aftermath of high-profile shootings. Anonymous social media accounts often exploit the information vacuum to disseminate posts that wrongly identify culprits, either for humor, to mislead the media, or to boost engagement and followers. In this instance, the false identification of the shooter was purportedly sourced from the Butler Police Department, accompanied by a photo of a man in sunglasses and a black hat, alleged to be a screenshot from a pre-attack YouTube video. This claim was entirely baseless.

 

The misinformation was further amplified by verified accounts on X. One notable example was the account Wall Street Silver, which is known for spreading misinformation. The account, with 1.3 million followers, shared the false claim before eventually deleting it without explanation. The false narrative was also propagated by Russian propaganda accounts, as well as MAGA and Proud Boy channels on Telegram.

 

The person falsely identified in these posts was actually Marco Violi, an Italian YouTuber who vlogs about soccer. The initial false identification originated from a joke posted by the X account @Moussolinho, which incorrectly pointed to Violi as the shooter, using a photo taken from another user’s account. This led to an online frenzy, with people flooding the account with accusations. The account owner, overwhelmed by the false allegations, made their account private and expressed frustration over the absurdity of the situation.

 

Violi himself took to Instagram to deny the false claims, stating emphatically that he was in Rome, Italy, and had no connection to the incident. Violi wrote in Italian on his Instagram account, according to Meta's translation, "I STRONGLY DENY BEING INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION. I WAS AWAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (2AM IN ITALY TO BE PRECISE) FROM THE MANY NOTIFICATIONS I RECEIVED ON INSTAGRAM AND ON X. I’M IN ITALY, I’M IN ROME AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED."

 

The spread of conspiracy theories was not limited to anonymous or lesser-known accounts. Established conspiracy theorist Alex Jones livestreamed to hundreds of thousands of viewers on X, attributing the incident to the "deep state." Similarly, X accounts associated with QAnon conspiracy theories garnered millions of views by naming high-profile Democrats and Republicans as potential collaborators with the CIA in orchestrating the incident. These claims were entirely devoid of evidence.

 

The rapid spread of misinformation following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump highlights the challenges of moderating content on social media platforms during major political events. With platforms stepping back from active moderation, the digital space remains susceptible to the rapid spread of false information, leaving the public to navigate a minefield of unfounded claims and speculative narratives.

 

Credit: NBC News 2024-07-15

 

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[Tug]

I’ll buy the secret service dropped the ball,as far as a set up that was wayyyy to close 2 inches over and it would have killed him dead

[zepplin]

I wouldn’t want to be the head of his security detail! No drones ? No one checking rooftops? There was even a report of someone trying to convince the authorities that he saw a shooter on the roof…. 

On 6/20/2024 at 5:58 AM, hotchilli said:

Isn't that how most businesses operate?

Foreigner outs up the money, business in a Thai name?

 

[WDSmart]

I'm not condoning the assassination attempt, but the photo above shows another example of the problem with Trump. How does he gesture to his fans after being shot? Does he wave, showing he is okay? No! He gives them a scowling face and a fist in the air... It's as if he is saying, "Fight! Our opponents are evil and need to be conquered. They need to be crushed. Fight! Physically fight them like you did on Jan 6!"

 

As long as he has that attitude, which I know he will never lose, there will be social, verbal, physical, and probably armed fighting between the extremes in both groups.

 

I think the future looks very bad for the USA, especially for the next three or four months. I have no doubt this will not be the last horrific event.

 

Buckle up. 

[Hawaiian]

31 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

I'm not condoning the assassination attempt, but the photo above shows another example of the problem with Trump. How does he gesture to his fans after being shot? Does he wave, showing he is okay? No! He gives them a scowling face and a fist in the air... It's as if he is saying, "Fight! Our opponents are evil and need to be conquered. They need to be crushed. Fight! Physically fight them like you did on Jan 6!"

 

As long as he has that attitude, which I know he will never lose, there will be social, verbal, physical, and probably armed fighting between the extremes in both groups.

 

I think the future looks very bad for the USA, especially for the next three or four months. I have no doubt this will not be the last horrific event.

 

Buckle up. 

Different people have different interpretations of Trump's behavior after being shot at.  Some say it shows his toughness and defiance even after being grazed by a bullet. His audience seemed to react positively by chanting "USA, USA, USA>"That is the complete opposite of what you think.  So be it.

What happens at the GOP convention might be some clue of what's next.   Will be interesting to see how the markets react.

Edited July 15 by Hawaiian

[Hakuna Matata]

Quote ©Gilbert Doctorow, 2024

 

"I freely acknowledge that the most relevant point which I raised when I spoke of gross negligence of the authorities responsible for Former President Trump’s security, namely the failure to deploy drones for overhead supervision of the event, came from the remarks of a security expert on CNN that I listened to over breakfast.

 

As the day has progressed, CNN coverage seemed to move in another direction, towards discussion of the overall political tensions and polarization in the U.S. which made such an attack possible.

 

However, to my knowledge no one in Western mainstream media is going beyond generalities and pinning down the specifics calls for Trump to be ‘stopped’ and even to ‘be shot’ because he is a threat to American democracy, as Biden has said repeatedly and thoughtlessly on the campaign trail.

 

The question of whether Trump had previously requested more from the Secret Service was raised by our media during the day and then dismissed.  However, no one mentioned the repeated refusal of Biden to name a security team to candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

 

This is utterly outrageous given the murder of his father in the midst of campaigning decades ago.

 

A country that has thrown away 175 billion dollars to keep the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev in power seems to fret over the few million it would take to keep its own elections safe"

 

©Gilbert Doctorow, 2024

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, WDSmart said:

I'm not condoning the assassination attempt, but the photo above shows another example of the problem with Trump. How does he gesture to his fans after being shot? Does he wave, showing he is okay? No! He gives them a scowling face and a fist in the air... It's as if he is saying, "Fight! Our opponents are evil and need to be conquered. They need to be crushed. Fight! Physically fight them like you did on Jan 6!"

 

As long as he has that attitude, which I know he will never lose, there will be social, verbal, physical, and probably armed fighting between the extremes in both groups.

 

I think the future looks very bad for the USA, especially for the next three or four months. I have no doubt this will not be the last horrific event.

 

Buckle up. 

He is the most divisive and hateful man to even engage in US politics, at the highest levels. He has contributed to the ever deepening divide, no doubt. And he doesn't care. That is what he wants. 

[spidermike007]

From reports to Newsmax's Alex Salvi and Axios' Juliegrace Brufke, it has been stated that officials mentioned Trump was struck by pieces of glass, possibly from a teleprompter that broke due to bullets. Yet, the details are still unclear, as Trump himself has described the incident as being hit by a bullet.

 

This is far more likely than the bullet story. Yet, Trump will milk this one and make himself into a near martyr and a hero. 

[placeholder]

If it was a setup, which it clearly wasn't, the only way that works is if Trump is in on the plot and somehow had participated in having himself wounded by some other means or by outright fakery and there was no wound at all. The only plot was the one the belonged to the would-be assassin. 

Edited July 15 by placeholder

[Chomper Higgot]

We hardly need a thread on this, just read the responses in the first 12 hours of yesterday’s news item.

[TigerandDog]

15 minutes ago, placeholder said:

If it was a setup, which it clearly wasn't, the only way that works is if Trump is in on the plot and somehow had participated in having himself wounded by some other means or by outright fakery and there was no wound at all. The only plot was the one the belonged to the would-be assassin. 

Chump was in on it, and there was a wound otherwise how do you explain the blood from his right ear, because that's the kind of desperate low stunt he needed to pull to get his support base riled up. Otherwise, being the coward that he is he would have cowered and run away as quickly as possible instead of saying wait, wait, wait and then posturing to his cult members the way he did.. Nobody has mentioned yet that the shooter was a registered Republican, instead t\he Trumpists are blaming Biden and the Democrats. He's going to milk this for every dollar he can scam out his brainwashed cult members.

[Captain Flack]

A reported troll post that is an endorsement of assassination has been removed.

[KhunLA]

After ... no different than before.   Just watch MSM for all the BS they spew ...

... IMHO

[placeholder]

4 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

Chump was in on it, and there was a wound otherwise how do you explain the blood from his right ear, because that's the kind of desperate low stunt he needed to pull to get his support base riled up. Otherwise, being the coward that he is he would have cowered and run away as quickly as possible instead of saying wait, wait, wait and then posturing to his cult members the way he did.. Nobody has mentioned yet that the shooter was a registered Republican, instead t\he Trumpists are blaming Biden and the Democrats. He's going to milk this for every dollar he can scam out his brainwashed cult members.

And the sad loon who attempted the assassination also donated to a progressive campaign.

"Investigators are still seeking Crooks' motive - despite his Republican leanings, he had donated recently to a progressive voter-turnout campaign in 2021 - but indicated he'd planned the attack well in advance...

A classmate remembered Crooks as a frequent target of bullies. Kids picked on him for wearing camouflage to class and his quiet demeanor, Jason Kohler, 21, said. Crooks usually ate lunch alone, Kohler said

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/14/trump-shot-crooks-assassin-sniper/74401755007/

 

 

[thaipo7]

3 hours ago, WDSmart said:

I'm not condoning the assassination attempt, but the photo above shows another example of the problem with Trump. How does he gesture to his fans after being shot? Does he wave, showing he is okay? No! He gives them a scowling face and a fist in the air... It's as if he is saying, "Fight! Our opponents are evil and need to be conquered. They need to be crushed. Fight! Physically fight them like you did on Jan 6!"

 

As long as he has that attitude, which I know he will never lose, there will be social, verbal, physical, and probably armed fighting between the extremes in both groups.

 

I think the future looks very bad for the USA, especially for the next three or four months. I have no doubt this will not be the last horrific event.

 

Buckle up. 

He is only showing his defiance to all the <deleted> he has had to put up for almost 8 years now with from the Leftist liars, Biden's corrupt administration, especially the Justice Department, and a Stalinist media, and don't forget the two tier system of justice in the US.  What did Biden say on July 8th?  “It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.”  Imagine if Trump said this and something happened to Biden.

[Thingamabob]

3 hours ago, WDSmart said:

I'm not condoning the assassination attempt, but the photo above shows another example of the problem with Trump. How does he gesture to his fans after being shot? Does he wave, showing he is okay? No! He gives them a scowling face and a fist in the air... It's as if he is saying, "Fight! Our opponents are evil and need to be conquered. They need to be crushed. Fight! Physically fight them like you did on Jan 6!"

 

As long as he has that attitude, which I know he will never lose, there will be social, verbal, physical, and probably armed fighting between the extremes in both groups.

 

I think the future looks very bad for the USA, especially for the next three or four months. I have no doubt this will not be the last horrific event.

 

Buckle up. 

Surely good to have a presidential candidate who is defiant and unafraid ?

[Purdey]

When a Republican shooter misses the former president, better to blame the Democratic Party.

[TigerandDog]

3 hours ago, placeholder said:

And the sad loon who attempted the assassination also donated to a progressive campaign.

"Investigators are still seeking Crooks' motive - despite his Republican leanings, he had donated recently to a progressive voter-turnout campaign in 2021 - but indicated he'd planned the attack well in advance...

A classmate remembered Crooks as a frequent target of bullies. Kids picked on him for wearing camouflage to class and his quiet demeanor, Jason Kohler, 21, said. Crooks usually ate lunch alone, Kohler said

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/14/trump-shot-crooks-assassin-sniper/74401755007/

 

 

how could he indicate that he planned the attack well in advance? Are the Secret Service able to communicate with the dead now? Stop believing the BS in the papers. This is Chump planning & setting up playing the victim at it's best.

[placeholder]

4 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

how could he indicate that he planned the attack well in advance? Are the Secret Service able to communicate with the dead now? Stop believing the BS in the papers. This is Chump planning & setting up playing the victim at it's best.

It's kind of refreshing to see someone presumably from the left who believes in bizarre and elaborate conspiracy theories. That's something that the right enjoys a virtual monopoly over. So, by your reckoning, the NY Times is involved in this conspiracy? And, of course, if we needed any further proof of your imbalanced take on things, you just can't resist insulting Trump by using a moronic nickname even though that virtually guarantees that the mods will remove your post sooner or later.

[stoner]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

you just can't resist insulting Trump by using a moronic nickname even though that virtually guarantees that the mods will remove your post sooner or later.

 

Hahahaha thanks for the laugh. 

 

Trump has been called every name in the book on here with many of the comments totally acceptable by mods.

 

What world do you live in. 

 

then on the flip using the <removed > has been censored. 

 

Wow they are even censoring it with spaces now too. That would be the sdt or syndrome of Donald trump

 

The bias is sickening.

Edited July 15 by stoner

[uncletiger]

First, let me say I am not just MAGA. I am ultra MAGA. I not only support Trump, I support the over 200 generals helping to run this psyop we're living through. Only someone completely asleep would believe this was a genuine assassination attempt that "failed."

 

Calling legitimate questions "conspiracy theories" is a typical example of how we are being manipulated during this time. And beyond just the pejoratives used to describe the questions, the theories themselves that are being put forth are all nonsensical, trying to say this was engineered in order to influence the election.

 

I propose the following:

 

1. This was absolutely staged. Trump has private security in addition to SS. Both teams had to be controlled to allow this.

2. The idea that was staged for election purposes is ridiculous. It required way too much coordination, and way too much puppeteering of incidental actors to pull something like this off just for a bump in the polls.

 

So why would the military intelligence team behind Trump go through all of this? There's really one reason that would seem to justify all of this.

 

They are setting up an investigation which is going to expose the crimes and corruption of the intelligence agencies run by the deep state/globalist criminal syndicate.  This was staged to look exactly like an operation pulled off by the Secret Service, and likely with the help of the CIA and FBI. And I suspect most of those who participated probably thought it was a legitimate op by their globalist masters.

 

But the election angle is pure distraction. Look deeper. We're in the middle of a war. A modern, 5th generation psychological/information/cyber war rather than a kinetic one. But still a war being fought between sovereign patriots and a globalist syndicate that invaded the USA by installing the illegitimate and unconstitutional Biden regime in 2021 via election fraud.

 

Every significant event needs to be viewed through this lens. One thing is for sure. If the media is telling you something, its a narrative that you should be ignoring. This was staged. It was most definitely a conspiracy. The only question is the details of the conspiracy.

[novacova]

One conspiracy theory floating around that the DOJ is going to drop its pursuance of Trump due to the assassin attempt. If that actually happens just wondering what the reaction would be from the extremest left and how deep of a state of depression they would fall into.

[illisdean]

And this.

 

 

[still kicking]

'He was a Republican': Juan Williams reminds Fox News that Trump shooter wasn't a Dem

'He was a Republican': Juan Williams reminds Fox News that Trump shooter wasn't a Dem (msn.com)

[TigerandDog]

14 hours ago, uncletiger said:

First, let me say I am not just MAGA. I am ultra MAGA. I not only support Trump, I support the over 200 generals helping to run this psyop we're living through. Only someone completely asleep would believe this was a genuine assassination attempt that "failed."

 

Calling legitimate questions "conspiracy theories" is a typical example of how we are being manipulated during this time. And beyond just the pejoratives used to describe the questions, the theories themselves that are being put forth are all nonsensical, trying to say this was engineered in order to influence the election.

 

I propose the following:

 

1. This was absolutely staged. Trump has private security in addition to SS. Both teams had to be controlled to allow this.

2. The idea that was staged for election purposes is ridiculous. It required way too much coordination, and way too much puppeteering of incidental actors to pull something like this off just for a bump in the polls.

 

So why would the military intelligence team behind Trump go through all of this? There's really one reason that would seem to justify all of this.

 

They are setting up an investigation which is going to expose the crimes and corruption of the intelligence agencies run by the deep state/globalist criminal syndicate.  This was staged to look exactly like an operation pulled off by the Secret Service, and likely with the help of the CIA and FBI. And I suspect most of those who participated probably thought it was a legitimate op by their globalist masters.

 

But the election angle is pure distraction. Look deeper. We're in the middle of a war. A modern, 5th generation psychological/information/cyber war rather than a kinetic one. But still a war being fought between sovereign patriots and a globalist syndicate that invaded the USA by installing the illegitimate and unconstitutional Biden regime in 2021 via election fraud.

 

Every significant event needs to be viewed through this lens. One thing is for sure. If the media is telling you something, its a narrative that you should be ignoring. This was staged. It was most definitely a conspiracy. The only question is the details of the conspiracy.

the only thing you got right in your comment was that it was staged. The rest is just absolute gibberish.

[john donson]

staged? shooter dead and father in the public dead...

 

big screwup yes

 

head of secret service, another woke appointed , will not quit

[proton]

19 hours ago, still kicking said:

'He was a Republican': Juan Williams reminds Fox News that Trump shooter wasn't a Dem

'He was a Republican': Juan Williams reminds Fox News that Trump shooter wasn't a Dem (msn.com)

 

so if registered as one makes him a republican, what does donation to Biden make him?

[Srikcir]

More background information on shooter: a MAGA supporter