Trump Assassination Attempt: Fake News, Unproven Claims About Shooter, Rally Flood Social Media

Posted: July 16, 2024

Unsubstantiated claims flooded social media after a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. These claims, lacking proof, suggested shadowy figures on the left were targeting Mr. Trump. They built on ideas previously circulated by Mr. Trump about the “deep state” seeking to prevent his return to office. The unverified claims surfaced on platforms like Gab, Truth Social, Parler, X, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram.

Disinformation experts quickly urged caution, warning against jumping to conclusions. Roberta Braga, founder of the think tank Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas, wrote on X, “We are about to see a lot of disinformation spreading about who is behind the shooting, who executed it, and the events that led up to this moment. Watch for emotional language.”

Law enforcement officials will need time to investigate the incident. Video from the rally appears to show Mr. Trump dropping to the stage and bleeding from his ear before being escorted away by Secret Service agents.

Some social media accounts claimed, without evidence, that a gunman with ties to the “deep state” had opened fire on Mr. Trump. They also blamed government agencies like the FBI and the CDC for targeting him.

Representative Mike Collins, a Republican from Georgia, quickly accused President Biden of ordering the apparent shooting, but provided no proof. “Joe Biden sent the orders,” he wrote on X. Mr. Collins did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other social media posts suggested the shooter was a member of the far-left Antifa group or was acting on behalf of transgender individuals. None of these posts provided any evidence for their theories.