Some conspiracy theories have focused on alleged security failures, leading social media users to question how such a thing could have happened.
Months before the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump became the target of an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
The failed assassination occurred a few days before the former President was scheduled to accept the Republican Party's nomination to run for president of the United States.
While law enforcement officials are trying to determine the motive of the 20-year-old suspect who opened fire from a nearby rooftop, the word “staged” has become a trend on social media in the US in just a few days. minutes after the attack.
“Staging” has become synonymous with extremist conspiracy theories on social media platforms, often used to question the authenticity of an attack or shooting.
The BBC said that in just 24 hours, this conspiracy theory overtook other topics on the Internet, as posts on social network X were filled with unproven rumors, hate speech and abuse. has received millions of views.
Historically, conspiracy theories have often been implicated in the assassinations of US presidents , with the most famous example being the assassination of President John F Kennedy in November 1963.
Since Mr. Trump's assassination was the first to take place in real time, it is not surprising that baseless rumors have surfaced.
This trend is not limited to political advocacy groups but is also posted by individuals with blue ticks, giving their posts more attention.
As usual, conspiracy theories sometimes begin with legitimate questions and confusion. They focused on alleged security flaws, leading social media users to question how such a thing could have happened.
“How did the attacker get to the roof? Why isn't he blocked?" - one person wrote.
"It looks very staged. No one in the crowd ran or panicked. No one in the crowd heard real gunshots. I don't believe it" - a post received millions of views. However, the post was later labeled with a note indicating the shooting was real.
These conspiracy theories were further complicated by the photos and videos that were later released. Especially the photo of Donald Trump raising his fist , his face and ears covered in blood, with the American flag behind him.
On the morning of July 14, a YouTuber account in the US wrote in a post on X that reached nearly 1 million views with a photo of Mr. Trump after the shooting with the caption: "Fake blood. An upside down American flag. I don't believe it is true. So perfect." However, this person later deleted this post and posted another post saying that it is important to correct yourself if you are wrong.
Another user
However, the BBC emphasized that most of these viral conspiracy theories come from left-leaning users, often posting anti-Donald Trump views.
