- Conspiracy theories spread after Trump shooting
- Evidence-free speculation floods social media
- False claims tarnish innocent people’s reputations
Within minutes of the announcement of former President Donald Trump’s assassination attempt, the phrase began trending on X in the United States.
It’s a term that has become synonymous with conspiracy theories on the margins of social media, frequently used to cast doubt on an attack or shooting. However, in the last 24 hours, it has spilled into mainstream online debate, with posts total of evidence-free speculation, hatred, and abuse receiving millions of views on X.
Assassination attempts on US presidents have historically served as magnets for conspiracy, most notably the murder of John F. Kennedy in November 1963. This was the first to take place in real-time, so it’s no surprise that erroneous rumours spread.
How this fury engulfed all sides of the political spectrum has stuck out.
It has been expanded beyond dedicated organizations of political supporters.
Instead, users actively promoted it in “For You” feeds as they attempted to understand what had occurred. And it was frequently shared by people who had paid blue ticks, giving their postings more visibility.
‘Staged’ conspiracies become widespread.
As is often the case, conspiracy theories began with reasonable inquiries and confusion. They focused on purported security flaws, with many consumers wondering how this could happen.
How did the attacker get to the roof? Why were they not stopped?
Disbelief, speculation, and disinformation flooded into that vacuum.
“It looks very staged,” stated one post on X that received a million views. “No one in the crowd is running or panicked. Nobody in the audience heard an actual gunshot. I don’t trust it. “I do not trust him.”
The profile states that it is based on Ireland’s southwest coast. Later, it was labelled with an X, indicating the shooting was authentic.
As further footage and testimony from both inside and outside the event were posted, the panic and fear of those present became all too apparent.
The astonishing visuals that have emerged since those initial videos have fueled the conspiracy theories. For example, a widely lauded shot taken by Evan Vucci, the Associated Press lead photographer in Washington, depicts Trump with his fist raised, blood on his face and ear, and the US flag in the backdrop.
One US-based YouTube account stated that the image was “too damn perfect” and described how they got “the flag positioned perfectly and everything”. The post on X had approximately one million views before being deleted by the individual who shared it. In a separate post, they emphasized the need to correct oneself if you need clarification.
Others noted that Trump raised his hand onstage when the rounds were fired. Despite the lack of evidence to support this claim, they exploited this to indicate that the event was staged.
“Staged to elicit sympathy?” “You can’t trust these people with anything, and I’m not going to pray for him,” wrote another commentator residing in the United States.
Many of the most popular messages, including this one, come from left-leaning users who frequently express their anti-Trump beliefs. Before today, they already had hundreds of thousands of followers, indicating a considerable reach.
‘Satanic Cabals’
What happened on X was straight out of the conspiracy theory playbook, perfected on social media by dedicated activists who deny the reality of practically everything, including the COVID pandemic, wars, mass killings, and terror strikes.
One tweet from a US-based account with a history of spreading false accusations like this read: “This is the price you pay when you take down the elite satanic paedophiles.”
They were referring to the QAnon conspiracy theory, which contends that Trump is fighting a covert war against a deep state – a secretive alliance of security and intelligence services hiding in plain sight and plotting to sabotage his every action.
Without any evidence to back it up, they went on to claim that the “order” for the killing “likely came from the CIA” and accused Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Mike Pence of involvement. There is no evidence to corroborate this, but the post has been seen 4.7 million times.
It’s a familiar pattern, but the significant difference is how common this jargon is among average social media users. Not only do Americans dislike Trump’s suggestion that this was manufactured, but they also endorse his claim that this is part of a more extensive conspiracy theory.
Elected politicians have also become engaged. Georgia Republican Congressman Mike Collins stated on Twitter that “Joe Biden sent the orders.” He referred to President Biden’s earlier this week remark about putting “Trump in a bullseye” regarding their election struggle.
There are valid concerns about some of the terminology used to characterize Trump by other politicians, the media, and online, which some of Trump’s followers claim has inflamed tensions and contributed to the murder attempt. However, claiming that President Biden ordered this is an entirely different proposition.
Collins’ post on X has had over 6 million views. However, it has subsequently been labelled with a community notice stating that there is no evidence Mr Biden was engaged in any way. It also said that his “bullseye” statement had been omitted.
False claims regarding the shooter’s identity
Incorrect attempts to identify the gunman contributed to the many evidence-free narratives.
Before the FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot and killed by the Secret Service, other people’s reputations were tarnished.
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Like football analyst Marco Violi, who wrote on Instagram in the middle of the night from Italy that he had seen completely bogus claims that he was a member of Antifa, a loose alliance of largely far-left militants, and was responsible for the attack. When X attempted to clear the air on Instagram, those false charges had amassed millions of views.
On X, political activists and sympathizers immediately hunkered down in their echo chambers, reading messages chosen by the site’s algorithm that validated their beliefs. The rest of us rushed to avoid this dark abyss of conspiracy and supposition.
This test was for Elon Musk’s new Twitter, and it’s challenging to claim the site passed with flying colours.
The other social media platforms haven’t been overwhelmed similarly due to their target audience and X’s reputation as a hub for political discourse.
