Within moments of agents escorting Trump away from the Pennsylvania rally with blood visible on the right side of his face, conspiracy theorists quickly alleged that the shooting had been orchestrated to enhance his electoral chances. As the first reports emerged on X, posts suggesting the event was 'staged' gained traction.
By Saturday night, "staged" became a popular search term on Google, ranking fourth after Trump, Secret Service, and Antifa. However, law enforcement has already identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The gunman was not present as an attendee at the rally. Associated Press reported an AR-style rifle was found at the location.
Wild Conspiracy Theories Emerge
Certain X users based their theories on the defiant images of Trump following the shooting. "Do you think the Trump shooting was staged?" asked one X user moments after the incident.
"This is such a perfect photo its hard to believe it is not staged. Photo of the decade. Absolutely incredible."
Another user expressed disbelief at Trump's reaction to the attack.
"Trump getting shot was completely staged. He wouldn't stop looking in that direction. Obviously someone who could make that shot wouldn't miss if they were intending to kill him. Then he got up and raised his hand. He would have shit his pants if this was real. Staged.
"Repost if you think this was staged,' wrote another user whose handle was simply Brittney.
"If you don't think that s*** was staged? Look at how fast they got Trump outta there at just the mention of someone in the crowd having a gun in 2016. Then look at this goofy as s***," wrote a third user who has around 2,000 followers, based on the Secret Service's rapid response to the incident.
The identities of the accounts trolling Trump could not be verified right away.
Kevin Rojek, the special agent overseeing the FBI Pittsburgh field office, described the shooting as an 'assassination attempt' on Saturday evening.
"This evening, we had what we are calling an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. It's still an active crime scene," he told reporters.
Real Attack Shocks Nation
Before shots rang out, the former president was actively engaged in his speech. Trump suddenly grasped his right ear with his hand, inspecting it briefly before dropping to his knees behind the podium. Secret Service agents quickly rushed in and shielded him from further danger.
This came as the FBI identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
The gunman was not present as an attendee at the rally.
According to sources cited by the Associated Press, an AR-style rifle was found at the location. A local prosecutor confirmed at least one rally attendee is killed. The Secret Service reported that two spectators were critically injured.
Footage from bystanders after the shooting shows what appears to be a deceased man in light-colored military attire lying on a rooftop a short distance from the rally stage.
The reason Crooks fired on the presumptive Republican presidential nominee remains unclear.
Rojek also said that the Secret Service had the responsibility of monitoring the rally site before the shooting, which has raised concerns about a significant security lapse.
He further said that law enforcement had responded to several suspicious activities prior to the shooting incident.
A politician described the gruesome scene he witnessed while seated behind Donald Trump after an attempted assassination left several people dead.
