Kevin Rojek, the special agent overseeing the FBI Pittsburgh field office, described the shooting as an ‘assassination attempt’ on Saturday evening.
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.
