![Donald Trump Shooting Was Staged Conspiracy Theory Staged Donald Trump Assassination Attempt conspiracy theory tweet example.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/050/584/donald_trump_shooting_staged.jpg)
Donald Trump Shooting Was Staged Conspiracy Theory
Part of a series on 2024 Donald Trump Rally Shooting. [View Related Entries]
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About
The Donald Trump Shooting Was Staged Conspiracy Theory is a conspiracy theory that the 2024 Donald Trump Rally Shooting was somehow fake and staged or was a "false flag" operation. The theory suggested that the reported assassination attempt was orchestrated to aid Donald Trump's 2024 Presidential Campaign to garner him favor and approval. Many highlighted the photographic nature of the shooting, exemplified by the viral Donald Trump Raised Fist Photograph. Others centered on the Secret Service's apparent ineptitude during the incident. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was also featured in a 2022 BlackRock commercial, raising concerns related to the conspiracy theory. Many aimed to debunk the theory as it spread in mid-July 2024, centering on discourse about New York Times photographer Doug Mills' photo of the bullet grazing Trump's ear or the death and injuries of attendees.
Origin
Posts and comments theorizing that the 2024 Donald Trump Rally Shooting was somehow staged began spreading on social media almost immediately after the news broke online. The first known viral post to suggest that the attempted assassination might have been staged was shared by X[1] user @THISisLULE at approximately 6:15 p.m. EST on July 13th, 2024, reading, "Sorry but I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump staged an attempted assassination as a campaign stunt," gaining over 22,000 likes in two days (shown below).
!["Donald Trump Shooting Was Staged" Original Tweet Elsbeth Tashioni @THISISLULE Follow Sorry but I wouldn't be surprised if Trump staged an attempted assassination as a campaign stunt • 6:15 PM ⚫ Jul 13, 2024 400.9K Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/861/998/94d.png)
Spread
Similar viral posts suggesting that the 2024 Donald Trump Rally Shooting might have been staged were shared in the following hours on July 13th, 2024, across numerous platforms, particularly on X / Twitter.
For instance, at 6:24 p.m. EST on the day of the event, X[2] user @ReggiSaxx quoted a video of Trump fist-pumping to the crowd after being shot, claiming that it was staged. The quote amassed over 115,000 likes in two days (shown below, left). Minutes later on July 13th, X[3] user @bloutgoggles shared the Trump Raised Fist Photograph, captioned, "Staged ass shooting😭😭😭🤦♂️🤦♂️," receiving over 63,000 likes in two days (shown below, right).
![This s--- is staged as f--- ain’t it LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO Reggie Saxx @ReggiSaxx This s--- is staged as f--- ain't it LMFAOOOOO00000000 Collin Rugg @Collin Rugg⚫ Jul 13 BREAKING: Donald Trump pumps his fist as blood covers his face after 'pops' ring out. MP 024 TRUMP 2024 0:03 MOR **** TEXT PENNSYLVANIA TO 88022 TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! 2024 LIVE: PRESIDENT TRUMP IN BUTLER, PA GET THE LATEST TRUMP MERCH ⭑ TEXT SHOP TO 88022 6:24 PM Jul 13, 2024 15.4M Views T ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/861/999/3e7.png)
![Donald Trump Shooting staged meme ANTH bloutgoggles @bloutgoggles Staged ass shooting 22 6:35 PM Jul 13, 2024 2.8M Views •](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/000/037.png)
Minutes later on July 13th, 2024, X[4] user @kangminjlee aimed to debunk the growing theory by posting an interview with a doctor who was present at the shooting and tried saving a man who was shot, seen with blood on his clothes. @kangminjlee wrote, "Do some of you still think this is 'staged'?" gaining over 15,000 likes in two days (shown below).
It was later confirmed that one person died and two more were seriously injured due to the would-be assassin's gunfire at the event.[10]
Emergency room doctor with blood on his clothes talks about trying to save a man who was shot in the head at the Trump Rally
Do some of you still think this is "staged"?
pic.twitter.com/xp9fJBJlHY— Kangmin Lee | 이강민 (@kangminjlee) July 13, 2024
Conspiracy theory discourse also surfaced on Reddit's /r/conspiracy sub in the following days. For instance, on July 14th, 2024, Redditor[5] LurkerFromTheVoid shared a photo from the Washington Post of the Secret Service sniper positioned behind Trump's stage, asking, "Why didn't they shoot before the gunman?" (shown below).
![Why didn't they shoot before the gunnman? r/conspiracy • 1 day ago LurkerFromTheVoid Why didn't they shoot before the gunnman? facing the gunman's direction. WSJ SUBSCRIBE](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/005/ffe.png)
Another post on /r/conspiracy[6] added to the question, showing an aerial view of the Trump shooting where the shooter was located compared to the Secret Service sniper, gaining over 1,100 upvotes in a day (shown below). The post was labeled "Innacurate" by the subreddit's mods due to reports that the Secret Service sniper's view of the shooter's position was blocked by a tree.[7]
![Aerial view of Trump assassination attempt Shooter r/conspiracy • 21 hr. ago Florzee This is the best aerial view I've seen Inaccurate Butler Farm Show, Butler, Pa. Trump on stage Secret Service snipers 1 Approximately 130 yards :](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/020/117.png)
Another point levied by the conspiracy theorists also centered on the Secret Service's handling of Donald Trump after the shooting in which they let him raise his fist for the audience. Reports also said that Trump insisted on getting his shoes immediately after his ear was struck.[8]
For instance, on July 13th, 2024, X[9] user @Drea_got_banned noted the Secret Service's actions, asking if it was insane, gaining over 94,000 likes in two days (shown below).
![Trump "let me get my shoes" meme Ghost of Shamble Bangs @Drea_got_banned Trump said "wait wait wait" stopping the secret service from getting him to supposed safety to 1. Put his shoes back on "let me get my shoes" and 2. Find the camera and strike a pose... and the Secret service LET HIM Is that not f------ insane? 8:13 PM ⚫ Jul 13, 2024 3.1M Views •](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/046/714.png)
New York Times' "Bullet Grazing Donald Trump" Photograph
On July 13th, 2024, New York Times[11] photographer Doug Mills took a photograph of the bullet grazing Donald Trump's ear (shown below, top). The NYT editorial team also included a red circled version, highlighting the bullet mid-flight (shown below, bottom).
The photograph debunked many claims that Trump could have faked being shot, exemplified in viral tweets[12] that praised the photo.
![Doug Mills New York Times Bullet Grazing Donald Trump MERICA TAGAIN TEXT PENNSYLVANIA TO 88022 TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! 2024](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/054/35f.jpg)
![Bullet passing by Donald Trump photograph DRICA AGAIN TEXT PENNSYLVANIA TO 88022 TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! 2024](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
Thomas Matthew Crooks BlackRock Commercial
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, had appeared in a 2022 commercial for the multinational investment company BlackRock that spread on X[13] in the days following the shooting. Users joked about the coincidence in conspiratory posts, such as X[14] user @adamjohnsonCHI on July 15th, 2024, who said, "love the idea that BlackRock uses their MKUltra sleeper cell deep state assassins in their promotional videos as a cost saving measure…" gaining over 18,000 likes in less than a day (shown below).
![Thomas Matthew Crooks Adam Johnson @adamjohnsonCHI love the idea that BlackRock uses their MKUltra sleeper cell deep state assassins in their promotional videos as a cost saving measure. $124B in assets but streamline redundancies by having their patsy shooters play wide-eyed high school students in YouTube content with 639 views A. Westgate @a_westgate ⚫ 22h Trump shooter was in a BlackRock video. Probably nothing. BlackRock МИ 86 ORT that guy made this place a special place to come to school and 0:19/0:30 Who we impact: Financial freedom for teachers BlackRock 32.5K subscribers 126 views 16 May Subscribe 7:07 AM ⚫ Jul 15, 2024 238.8K Views Like Disabled by Owner Share +Save](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/861/776/414.png)
Various Examples
![Trump Shooting Was Staged meme tdk @tdkumon > great camera angle > great quality > no secret service agent in front of his head covering the wound > conveniently placed us flag 8:20 PM Jul 13, 2024 2.9M Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/861/578/c64.png)
![trump shooting was staged meme Adam Blade @Red_Mage23 People who believe 99% of what they see on TV are absolutely certain this was staged tdk @tdkumon • Jul 13 > great camera angle > great quality > no secret service agent in front of his head covering the wound > conveniently placed us flag 12:15 PM Jul 14, 2024 517.9K Views 6000](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/080/579.png)
![So Here’s The Plan… Trump Team Let's shoot you @PJZNY Advertising Meeting](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/861/402/124.jpeg)
![these photos are so hard and i’m choosing to believe it’s a false flag now beer person @CantEverDie these photos are so hard and i'm choosing to believe it's a false flag now Pop Base @PopBase Jul 13 Donald Trump after the shooting at his rally. (Photos via AP) 6:46 PM ⚫ Jul 13, 2024 1M Views 6000](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/084/192.png)
![trump shooting was staged meme TY-RIN @GothamCityGo Follow That shooting so f------ staged dawg they clipped Trump's ear with a damn rubber bullet now this n---- gon act like he 50 Cent in 2003 omfg he just won the election • 6:36 PM ⚫ Jul 13, 2024 10.7M Views •](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/079/5f9.png)
![That face you make when your assassin misses: That face you make when your assassin misses:](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/862/086/9c2.jpeg)
Search Interest
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External References
[1] X – @THISisLULE
[2] X – @ReggiSaxx
[3] X – @bloutgoggles
[4] X – @kangminjlee
[5] Reddit – /r/conspiracy
[6] Reddit – /r/conspiracy
[7] Reddit – /r/conspiracy
[8] Florida Today – Trump shoes; shooter down: what you heard as Secret Service rushed stage a Butler rally
[9] X – @Drea_got_banned
[10] BBC – Who are the Trump rally shooting victims?
[11] New York Times – The Photographs That Made Trump an Incarnation of Defiance
[12] X – @Lukewearechange
[14] X – @adamjohnsonCHI
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Top Comments
ghost of aerie
Jul 15, 2024 at 08:05PM EDT
polandgod75
Jul 15, 2024 at 05:27PM EDT