Two weeks have passed since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, and the investigation into the security breach at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally has sparked a multitude of conspiracy theories. Investigative reporter Ben Swann of Truth in Media believes it’s reasonable for people to question how 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to fire eight shots at Trump, given the questionable explanations provided by former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
Swann suggests that the level of incompetence displayed by the Secret Service is so high that it’s understandable why many Americans believe the attack was more than just a lone-wolf gunman. “We’re not stating that it’s more than incompetence publicly because we don’t know that, but it’s reasonable to see why tens of millions of Americans think this was not just a lone-wolf gunman,” Swann said.
Theories about government involvement in the assassination of political figures have been circulating since the death of John F. Kennedy. The recent attempt on Trump’s life has reignited these conspiracy theories, with some pointing to the lack of transparency from the Secret Service and the FBI.
One popular conspiracy theory is that Trump staged the assassination attempt himself, possibly with the help of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This theory gained traction after a leaked email from Reid Hoffman’s political adviser, Dmitri Mehlhorn, suggested that Trump’s behavior during the attack was suspicious. A poll released three days after the shooting showed that one in three Democrats believed the assassination may have been staged. However, the FBI has since clarified that Trump was indeed hit by a bullet, contradicting earlier claims that he may have been struck by shrapnel.
Another theory suggests that President Joe Biden ordered the assassination attempt, citing a phone call with donors in which he said it was time to “put Trump in the bullseye.” However, the FBI has found no evidence to support this claim, and Biden’s rhetoric during the campaign has been cited as a possible motive for the attack.
Other conspiracy theories include claims that an FBI agent was in the crowd behind Trump filming the assassination, and that a 4Chan post from a supposed Secret Service sniper revealed that he was ordered not to take out the shooter. However, both of these claims have been debunked by the FBI and the Secret Service.
A final theory suggests that BlackRock, a financial firm, may have been involved in the attack due to Crooks’ appearance in a company advertisement when he was a student. However, BlackRock has denied any involvement and has removed the video from circulation out of respect for the victims. However, many online users have seen this as more than a mere coincidence, with one TikTok user claiming BlackRock owned the building Crooks shot from. A BlackRock spokesperson confirmed to AFP that the firm “does not own the building,” nor does it have “real estate funds invested in the building.”
