A woman seated behind Donald Trump during the assassination attempt he survived has sparked suspicion over her strange reaction following the attack. Video footage capturing the unidentified woman in sunglasses and wearing a white shirt and a black hat, shows her pulling out her phone as gunfire erupted at the Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
While everyone else, including Trump, ducked in fear for their safety, she remained visibly composed. Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper after he fired at least eight gunshots at a Trump campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. His actions injured the former president and two others, resulting in one death.
Mystery Woman Unmoved
The images have intensified the speculation around several conspiracy theories circulating after Saturday's shooting. A post on X urging people to "pay close attention" to the woman has garnered over 19 million views.
Another widely circulated post questions her actions: "Gunshots ring out and her first instinct is to very, very calmly pull out her phone and film the whole spectacle. Does that seem like normal behavior to you?"
Some X users speculated that the woman may have signaled or nodded before the first shot was fired. One extreme claim even suggested she was an accomplice, though no evidence was presented to support this assertion.
On the other hand, some argued that the woman's composed reaction could be attributed to the frequency of mass shootings in America.
A social media commenter remarked, " 'Is this how numb we are to gun violence in America? Watch the woman in white with the black hat right behind Trump."
"Rather than take cover or - I don't know - protect the child behind her - She takes out her phone and starts recording."
The attempt on the former president's life has generated a wide array of claims, some of them extreme, highlighting the unsettling uncertainties surrounding the attack and America's deeply divided political atmosphere.
The surge in conspiracy theories on the internet reflects the growing influence of social media as a primary source of both information and misinformation for many Americans, contributing to the widespread distrust and volatility in American politics today.
Trump Trends on Social Media
According to PeakMetrics, mentions of Trump on social media surged to 17 times the usual rate in the hours following the shooting. Many of these mentions expressed sympathy for Trump or calls for national unity.
However, a significant number of posts spread unfounded and fantastical claims. Some of these speculative claims attempted to blame either Trump or his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, for the attack.
On the left, some quickly labeled the incident a 'false flag' orchestrated by Trump, while some of Trump's supporters suggested that the Secret Service deliberately failed to protect him under orders from the White House.
The Secret Service countered claims circulating on social media that Trump's campaign had requested heightened security before the rally and was denied.
Videos of the shooting were swiftly analyzed in partisan circles, with both Trump's supporters and critics searching for evidence to support their respective viewpoints.
Some pointed to footage of Secret Service agents moving attendees away from Trump prior to the shooting as proof of an internal conspiracy. Conversely, images of Trump defiantly raising his fist were used to argue that the entire event was staged.
Following the tragic shooting that claimed the life of one spectator on Saturday, investigators were actively seeking any clues that could shed light on what motivated 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to carry out the shocking attack.
