He was never shot. It never happened.

[634-5789]

I'm not a conspiracist..not a medical person of any degree, but even a person with very limited knowledge understood that it was all an act. Fatass McTraitor's 'ear wound' healed up in less than 48 hours. Cartilage does not grow back like that. Yet, people died, and this is indeed has been hidden away, never to be solved. Why aren't they talking about the supposed shooter? Why did he POSE for a photo of how brave he was seconds after the staged event? Ohh, the MAGAts ate it up! I'm not buying it.

[raccoon]

1. You and me both. I think that "assassination attempt" was totally staged.

[brush]

3. It sure looks like it now with time and a clear perspective...

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2025, 09:59 AM - Edit history (1)

I mean with the ear 'injury' and the red 'blood' streaked on his face, just perfect for the 'let's fight' exhortation. I mean, come on, fake blood capsules in the mouth have been used for decades.

And the Secret Service and local LEOs somehow let the shooter get up on that low foof with a clear sight line to the stage, but their sniper took him out immediately after the 'shooting'. Couldn't have the shooter talking about how it was all planned.

It worked. trump got the 'heroic' photo, got headlines for weeks and the sympathy vote and won the election.

Another rethug dirty trick...the all-time dirtiest.

[Scrivener7]

6. Another trick, but this one involves murders.

[brush]

53. Absolutely, and they could care less who in the crown got killed.

[Clouds Passing]

146. They have plenty of practice at murdering people.

[Bengus81]

14. Trump hung around on fake azz WWE for years and a friend of McMahon for decades

They have always had those fake blood capsules. Look how long he was down on the floor in that lecturn then pops up with blood everywhere.

FAKE as hell and people knew it. That's why he had another "attempt" in Florida closer to the election.

[EarlG]

18. Three other people were shot during the incident

One died. I guess they were faking it too?

[MaeScott]

25. Collateral damage

Ashli Babbitt comes to mind

[EarlG]

29. Okay I'm trying to lock in on what the theory is here

Is it that real bullets were fired directly at Trump, hitting three people and killing one, while Trump used a fake blood capsule on himself to simulate injury?

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

44. Save your self the headache

It will never make sense. Trump and his minions, who many believe are among the dumbest and most incompetent people to run a government are also brilliant and skilled enough to fake an assassination attempt that involved real bullets being fired inches from a cowardly trump and resulted in actual death and injuries.

[Disaffected]

68. Nah, real bullets were fired directly at those who were actually struck.

There was also a second shooter, possibly on a grassy knoll.

[Bengus81]

34. We're talking about TRUMP being shot,try reading all the posts.

BTW....he KILLED at least 200,000-300,000 during Covid. Think he give a SHIT about anyone in attendance at that rally? Think he gives a SHIT about those that will die from Medicaid cuts?

[EarlG]

37. I don't think he gives a shit about anybody but himself

Which is why I find it inexplicable that he would agree to be part of a complicated plot that involved live ammunition being fired in his direction.

[FSogol]

52. and if it did happen like that, he'd never be able to not brag about it 24/7.

[YodaMom2]

154. That's perhaps the best reason to dismiss the conspiracy theory.

Taco Don is literally incapable of keeping his yap shut if he thinks he either a) knows something that others don’t know (and can impress others with his superior knowledge), or b) has gotten over on his “adversaries” and wants them, and everyone, to know it. In both instances, as always, his desperate need for attention, praise, admiration, and validation would compel him to boast about what he got away with. He literally couldn’t help himself.

[vapor2]

76. MORE attention should have been noted on covid deaths and redirecting U S covid supplies to other countries

[mwmisses4289]

39. No. The man who was killed was the real

target of the shooter, krasnov was just in the way. It was briefly mentioned, then quickly buried, that there was bad blood between the shooter and the person killed.
Besides, we know idjit wasnt hit. He went golfing the next day, and pics of him on the course clearly show no injury to either of his ears. It wasnt until his next t.v. appeareance the following tuesday? wednesday? that he shows up with that ridiculous fake bandage on his ear, and it was gone a day or two later.

[EarlG]

41. Except

He didn’t play golf the next day.

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/did-trump-play-golf-on-sunday-after-assassination-attempt-video-and-reddit-post-spark-debate/ar-BB1pYPDr

As for the theory that the firefighter was the real target, do you have any sources for that? I couldn’t find a discussion of it anywhere.

[Callie1979]

77. Please share a legit story about any relationship between the shooter & the fatality.

[Mountainguy]

156. So....the idea is

That a guy has a problem with somebody and wants them dead.....so he decides to kill him in the most complicated, difficult, and suicidal way?

[Meadowoak]

102. Collateral damage, to make it look real.

[EarlG]

112. (Edited)

Never mind, lol. I got clued in by one of your posts further down.

[634-5789]

128. Here's my theory...

The person killed had an agreement to be well compensated, perhaps he was terminal with a disease or cancer. I don;t know, but if there was no chicanery, then why don't we ever hear about the supposed shooter?

[EarlG]

133. See my post 73

The person killed was a 20 year old called Thomas Crooks. He didn’t have cancer. It took me a couple of minutes to find the information in post 73 linked below. Is it possible that you haven’t heard anything about the shooter because you haven’t looked for information about him?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220365314#post73

Here’s a bonus link I just found, from a story two weeks ago:

Emails shed new light on Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks

The 20-year-old who, six months later, would open fire at President Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally — striking his ear and killing an audience member — was busy polishing his applications to transfer from community college to a four-year engineering program.

Crooks was gathering transcripts and asking friends to review his personal statement.

He was also designing a bomb.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/emails-shed-light-trump-rally-180600260.html

[brush]

141. I don't think trump was the target. Who ever organized it didn't care about the collaral damage of others...

getting shot of killed, and the made sure the shooter got killed so he could never revealed who orchestrated the whole thing.

And that ear cartilage sure healed fast. I mean, come on. He stopped wearing that ear bandage awfully quick.

[EarlG]

147. A messed up 20-year-old took his rifle and a couple of explosive devices to a Trump rally,

managed to make it onto a roof, took several shots at Trump, winged him, hit some bystanders, and was immediately shot dead by police/Secret Service.

OR

A group of plotters persuaded a messed-up 20-year-old with terminal cancer to participate in a plot whereby he would climb on a roof at a Trump rally and take shots NOT at Trump, but at someone else in the crowd, using the Trump rally as cover. The 20-year-old would be fine getting shot dead during this plot because he knew he was going to die anyway. AND ALSO, during this event, Trump didn't actually get hit, and faked his injury. So Trump must have been in on the plot to kill someone else at his rally, and chose to put himself directly in the line of fire in order to participate.

If these plotters wanted someone else at the rally dead, wouldn't it make sense for them to attempt this at literally any location other than a rally featuring a former president, not to mention doing it while the former president is speaking, and firing live ammunition directly past the former president's head in order to pull off the illusion? Why go for that insane level of difficulty when you could just, I dunno, run the person down in a parking lot somewhere and make it look like an accident?

[brush]

148. We all have opinions on it. Mine is different than yours.

[EarlG]

149. Indeed, and this being a discussion forum

I'm attempting to change your opinion by presenting you with my argument. If my argument has failed to move you, then we shall have to agree to disagree

[brush]

150. That's cool. But before we go let me see if you remember an ear cartilage event from the past.

Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield. Tyson bit a piece of Holyfield's ear cartilage off. No blood streaked Holyfield's face, none bloodied the white canvas of the ring.

Just a thought.

[EarlG]

153. I do remember it

But I went to refresh my memory. According to Wikipedia:

"A one-inch piece of cartilage was torn from the top of Holyfield’s ear, which Tyson spat out onto the ring apron. Holyfield leapt into the air in pain and spun in a circle, bleeding profusely from the bite wound."

Here's a picture where you can clearly see blood from the wound running down Holyfield's chest:

[brush]

155. Thanks. I saw the fight on TV. Didn't remember the blood. Doesn't change my mind that trump wasn't the target.

[brush]

54. Yep, fake blood capsule while down on the podium.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

101. More likely than not? No, but truly nothing would surprise me with that fake lyin azz POS.

[EarlG]

134. Why would someone volunteer to commit suicide

for a propaganda photo? And why would Trump agree to stand in the line of fire of a suicidal man who was shooting live rounds in his direction?

In real life, Trump got shot at, panicked, got piled on by Secret Service agents, became disoriented and started rambling about his shoes, then remembered he was at a rally and stuck his fist in the air as they were trying to drag him off stage.

In the conspiracy theory, he’s a Machiavellian genius with the guts to stand in front of a suicidal man who is firing live ammunition at him. The conspiracy theory is not just ridiculous, but makes Trump sound smarter and braver than he really is.

[NoRethugFriends]

117. And the guy who was killed was fake-killed?

[no_hypocrisy]

2. It's 60+ years since the Kennedy assassination and we're still agonizing on

the event.

Strange how quickly the "assassination attempt" on Trump was dropped. No investigations by government and/or media. Journalist Jack Anderson wouldn't have let this one go.

[Kaleva]

49. One would think that after 60 years, some proof would have been found that Oswald didn't act alone

None whatsoever.

But some folks were able to make a good living selling their books to an audience that wanted to believe that there was a conspiracy to kill Kennedy.

If I recall correctly, the Reagan and Ford assassination attempts didn’t dominate the news cycle for very long. So it shouldn’t be unusual for the attempts on Trump to go the same route.

[Chemical Bill]

55. I take it you don't read...

any of the books that you say don't have any evidence.

[Kaleva]

66. Was it Castro, the CIA, the Mafia or some other?

Which book gives the correct evidence?

I noticed you didn’t give the title.

[Chemical Bill]

74. One doesn't have to prove...

who did it in order to disprove that Oswald did it.

I would suggest that people start by reading JFK And The Unspeakable, by Douglass. It looks at evidence and interviews to examine the official story with a skeptical eye.

People might next read The Devil's Chessboard, by Talbot. It examines Alan Dulles, his history, and gives evidence to support the speculation that he commanded the assassination.

Frankly, I applaud the testimony at the recent Republican run hearings, where a former Parkland Hospital doctor testified that JFK was shot from the front and the rear. That doesn't fit the official story.

[Callie1979]

78. There is no legit disproval of Oswald firing

And if you've ever been to the Plaza you'd see its very small & wouldn't take an expert to pul it off.
COULD there have been a 2nd shooter? Sure, but there's no proof there was. Oswalds actions that day only reinforced the opinion that he was the guilty party
And nothing in the 1000s of recently released pages, that were supposed to "reveal everything", changes that.

[Chemical Bill]

79. I take it you haven't read the books. n/t

[Callie1979]

81. Lots of postulations but no hard fact.

[Chemical Bill]

96. In the Douglass book?

I'm sorry, I disagree.

[Callie1979]

124. according to that book everyone over 25 were the culprits.

The Cubans, the CIA, the military, the steelworkers, the Chicago mob, on and on. Even excusing Oswald from even doing ANYTHING.
So if Oswald didnt do anything why did he flee & kill officer Tibbets?

[Callie1979]

122. As the meme says, "Sure, Jan"

The limo was put back into service too

[Chemical Bill]

127. I have never seen anything claiming that there were 11 shooters. n/t

[TnDem]

107. This is correct

I stood in the window next to Oswald's and on the road....It was 180 feet...that is literally nothing.

I could have made that shot at 8 years old, especially with a center fire rifle like he used.

I own a rifle exactly like Oswald used including his "Ordnance Optics" 4x18 scope and side mount....The rifle is VERY capable of making far better shots than that.

[Callie1979]

123. People see videos & it looks SO far away. But then lots of people WANT to believe.

Just like a lot of BS today.
Its kinda like a polygraph; if YOU believe it, the test wont show you're lying.

[Kaleva]

90. In 60 years, no one has been able to disprove Oswald did it

[angrychair]

94. The 1979 select Commiy on Assassinations

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2025, 11:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Says a little different. It's said there is more than enough evidence to support there was a conspiracy to unalive Kennedy. Perfect example is the multiple doubles of him being reported at two different places at the same time. As a famous example, Lee Harvey Oswald appeared in Austin at the Selective Service office on September 25th but the real Oswald was photographed in Mexico City handing out anti-Castro flyers in front of the US embassy. Also the the inconsistencies around the Warren Commission timeline of his actions from leaving the book depository and the unaliving of officer Tippit.
Not to mention that the CIA liaison to the Warren Commission personally knew Oswald and they were involved in the same anti-Castro resistance group at the same time. There is little doubt that Oswald was an intelligence asset of some kind.
I could go on and on about dozens of inconsistencies, half truths and poor or unrealistic timeline assumptions from the Warren Commission.
All while key intelligence information is still considered classified, over 60 years later, by the federal government and may never be released.

.

[TnDem]

108. Later than 1972

It was 1977 I believe...

More importantly, Congress has "committee" investigations all the time.

It means two things....1) Jack and 2) Shit

[angrychair]

111. That was my editing mistake

I meant to change it before I posted and got distracted. It was the 1979 select committee on Assassinations that specifically reviewed the investigations on the Kennedy and King assassinations.
That said, you made a pretty sweeping dismissal of a ton of information. Most of it that did not necessarily come from their report. Oswald was exactly who he said he was, a patsy. While it's more likely than not that there was indeed a conspiracy, time and distance make it nearly impossible to figure that out unless there is some still classified information that would put more of the pieces together.

[TnDem]

126. re: Oswald

Have you read the entire Warren Commission report? Before you even anwer, you DO realize that the Warren Commission reports is 26 VOLUMES LONG, not the short 1 volume summary book that is always shown. There are so many details covered in the entire report that half of the doofs on that committee on both sides probably didn't even know that.

[angrychair]

157. Absolutely not

But it was reviewed, in its entirety, by that 1979 committee. I'm a nerd for this stuff and I've read a lot on it. From the intelligent and interesting to the weird and absurd. While far from an expert it's my one conspiracy theory I allow myself because, in my humble opinion, it's got the most supportive evidence for an actual conspiracy.

[Chemical Bill]

97. Douglass said...

When Oswald was first seen by a policeman not even two minutes after the shots were fired, the policeman's notes prove that Oswald could not have done it. The notes were later changed to reflect enough uncertainty to allow you to state that. I trust an independent researcher more than I trust an official story with provable lies. Hell, I trust David Crosby at the Monterey Pop Festival more than I trust the official story.

[Kaleva]

120. Just because you and some others may believe that Oswald didn't do I doesn't make it true

While you may cite books and Congressional testimony, no one to date has been able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that either Oswald didn’t do it or that he was a knowing part of a conspiracy .

No court in the land nor any DOJ, even Democratic ones, has determined that Oswald either worked with others or was an innocent who set up.

If your evidence is as strong as you think it is, it would hold up in court.

[Chemical Bill]

125. Has Oswald ever been found guilty in a court?

Last edited Thu Jun 5, 2025, 08:29 AM - Edit history (2)

Seriously, take a dispassionate look at your argument. Oswald never went to court to be tried. That's what happens when you get shot and die, no criminal action can proceed against you. No one has ever proved anything about Oswald in a court of law.

Oh, and, BTW, "beyond a reasonable doubt" is the legal standard for proving guilt. All are assumed innocent in our country until proven guilty.

Also seriously, please read the book by Douglass.

ETA: the book JFK And The Unspeakable has about 800 pages of text, and about 100 pages of end notes with sources and background.

[Chemical Bill]

99. And why are you hung up on that one assertion...

when there is so much wrong with the official story. Multiple people at Parkland hospital said that JFK lost a large portion of the back of his head. Have you read about the autopsy at Walter Reed? Have you studied Oswald's Marine record? Does everything hinge on proving Oswald didn't do it?

When I got my chemistry degree, I was told that the scientific method involves looking at all the evidence available, and changing the hypothesis when new evidence becomes available.

[GigiLeigh]

92. The Reagan assassination

Did dominate the news cycle. To be fair though, Reagan was rushed to the hospital and was put under anesthesia for surgery so there was a lot going on to cover. Not to mention Brady was shot and disabled and others were also shot with a fatality. So a lot going on there, but we had high level reports and doctors who gave updates and such. None of that happened with Happy Meal Hitler and the Corporate media did not bother to ask any questions.

[luvallpeeps]

4. No "Zapruder" type footage released.

Cell phones all over the place, and you’d think people would be trying to figure it out. It really does seem off. Odd how the police were warned about the guy when he was spotted climbing up there. How did he get the shots off?

[AnotherMother4Peace]

5. Obvious fake from the start, but the magat cult ate it up. The more people questioned it the

more outraged they became. Trump knows how to manipulate his followers. A neighborhood magat became very incensed that this “assassination” attempt wasn’t given 24/7 media coverage.

[democrank]

7. Just think of the photo op, though.....

Wow! Imagine an image of Trump with his brave fist in the air on the side of a coffee mug or belt buckle or book cover. Think MAGA tee shirts. Think $$$$$$$.

[malaise]

8. I remain

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2025, 07:24 AM - Edit history (1)

doubting malaise

[speak easy]

9. No Kings, June 14 - Yes.

CTs about 2024? Nope - Way too late. Yes GOTV in 2026. EOM.

[Ponietz]

11. This right here is what matters

2024 CTs are an excuse for doing nothing.
2024 CTs are for Defeatists — there’s no point in trying if it’s rigged.
2024 CTs = loser energy

[Botany]

10. a bullet wound healed in less than 2 weeks and didn't even leave a scab or a scar on a 78 year old man

that shooting was as real as the election

[tritsofme]

12. "I'm not a conspiracist!" Proceeds to push ridiculous conspiracy theory...

We can do better than this nonsense.

[obamanut2012]

13. Why is it ridiculous?

Explain the lack of injury to rhe ear.

[EarlG]

23. See post 21 (nt)

[themaguffin]

61. Yeah, the guy who attempted a coup on the Capitol, fake elector scheme & P2025 would NEVER do this. Never.

[tritsofme]

63. I'd suggest you read through EarlG's posts in this thread. He is doing yeoman's work trying to steer folks away from

kooky nonsense.

[themaguffin]

69. I don't like conspiracies, but the group that did 1/6, the Eastman memo, fake electors, doge etc would absolutely do

this. Absofuckinglutely.

[EarlG]

114. Whether they *would* do it is not the same as

them actually doing it. The logistics of pulling this off don't make any sense. It requires someone to volunteer to commit suicide just so a photographer can capture a propaganda photo.

I posted a video of the whole thing further down the thread. It looks like total chaos, not some kind of organized performance. Trump looks confused and panicked.

[themaguffin]

158. I think that you missed my point.

First, yes of course, could and would are two different things, but what I'm saying is that things that they absolutely did do along with things that they attempted to do absolutely demonstrate that they would without a debt do something like this and it absolutely does not mean that someone would "volunteer."

Add to that it's completely beyond any norm or protocol to let him pause and reach out beyond protection.
And he has no history of restraint. trump not talking about this (beyond the convention or few passing times) is completely out of character.

Add to that, no medical information provided like normally would be, what they did with the shooter etc etc.

I'm just saying that demonstrated in his first term - especially since the nov 2020 that they would do anything. Absolutely anything without reservations. They proved that. I'm also saying that his atypical silence coupled with lack of information really fucking strange.

[sarisataka]

62. Doublethink

[HipChick]

15. Curious, as petty as he is

how come he never talks about it?
Definitely staged

[bdamomma]

16. Definitely

stage but caused deaths, the felon has so much blood on his hands. He has so much contempt for the American people, he should be vacated from our house.

But as Orrex posts, Is He Dead Yet???? What a glorious day that will be.

[EarlG]

17. How does this fit into the theory?

The man killed Saturday during the assassination attempt on former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., died a hero, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro during a press conference Sunday. Corey Comperatore, 50, "dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally," Shapiro said.

(Snip)

Two others in attendance, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, were also shot but are now in stable condition, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/14/nx-s1-5039293/corey-comperatore-man-killed-in-trump-assassination-attempt

Crisis actors? Robots? Holograms?

[MaeScott]

26. Collateral damage

People die around orange Taco a lot and he just shrugs a lot

[gab13by13]

19. No use talking about this now,

Do fucking town halls. We are about to become an autocracy if the Big Ugly Death Bill passes Congress.

Talking about Krasnov being shot is what Magats want us talking about.

Amazing.

[Vinca]

20. He doesn't even have a scar.

[EarlG]

21. There are a lot of blood vessels in the ear

Bleeding from the outer ear usually occurs due to a superficial skin wound, such as a cut or injury. Bleeding from deeper in the ear can be caused by other conditions.

Superficial skin injuries

Minor trauma to the skin, such as a cut or wound, may cause bleeding from the outer ear.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320237#causes

He wasn’t shot in the ear because if he was, his ear would be gone. But an AR-15 bullet going past your ear faster than the speed of sound could certainly cause a superficial laceration which, because the ear is full of blood vessels, can cause excessive bleeding.

[TheRickles]

30. Why no scab or scar in later photos?

If there was bleeding, even from a superficial laceration, there should also be signs of the healing process along the way.

[EarlG]

32. Because superficial means superficial

Not a deep cut. Just a minor cut to the top layer of skin in the ear can cause bleeding.

I don’t know why it’s easier to believe that this whole thing — including the firing of live rounds at Trump, the deaths of two people, and the serious wounding of two others — was staged, when the far simpler explanation is that he was barely nicked. He’s just a very lucky mfer.

[Ol Janx Spirit]

110. Spot on. Occam's Razor easily wins this one. n/t

[hlthe2b]

46. Exactly... Even a "grazing" injury (which is obviously the extent of it) will cause a lot of bleeding to

...the superficial vessels that course the outer (auricle) of the ear--even if only mild damage to skin.

He's certainly milked it for all it is worth, but the fact that the wound was limited, bled profusely, and quickly healed is not all that unusual. (On a personal note, the fact that "DR" Ronnie Jackson was able to provide effective interventional care only proves the point... )

[Littlered]

60. I've had to cancel a show

Because I barely cut my ear while shaving my head, and couldn’t get it to stop bleeding. Had to have it chemically cauterized. I couldn’t believe the amount of blood from such a small scratch/cut.

[Maine-i-ac]

22. Joe Rogan looked RIGHT AT this fakery and chose not to speak up.

You can see in the footage when he asks Trump about the shooting and Trump starts bragging. This was a couple months later but Joe, as much of a tool as he is, knows combat vets and has a bit of familiarity.

Rogan KNEW that wound could NOT have healed that fast. But he also needed Trump backing to maintain his followers (the non-bot ones).

[k_buddy762]

24. Rent free.

[Tommy Carcetti]

27. I believe he was shot *at*.

I have serious, serious doubts he was ever actually struck by a bullet, though.

[tanyev]

31. Yes. Two men in the bleachers were wounded by bullets and another man died.

Most likely Trump’s ear got nicked by some metal that came off the bleachers.

[The Wizard]

105. The first couple of shots were

above the crowd. That was the signal for Trump to grab his ear and break the fake blood blister. Then some shots were randomly shot into the crowd for authenticity.
Remember, Trump is a performance artist.

[doc03]

28. I don't believe he was hit by a bullet maybe glass, but I can't imagine how it was staged. Local and federal law

enforcement would all have to be involved to set it up. That would be like the belief the attacks on 911 were staged.

[Kaleva]

42. I agree

[cadoman]

118. I think you have the right idea - be skeptical but grounded

It's an event that's shall we say, suspicious? But the amount it'd take to fake all that is immense...

But it's kinda odd CNN was there to broadcast it live when they had ignored his other events, and the shot is away from the camera. Everyone at these events has their camera and no one films it? Shooter is dead and we never hear buck about him because he's of a certain privileged demographic.

[SheltieLover]

33. Kick

[EarlG]

36. Can someone explain to me how this plot was presented to Trump?

Something like this maybe?

“Okay Mr. President, here’s the plan. You’ll be on the stage, and we’re going to have a shooter up on this rooftop. He’s going to fire live rounds at you, because we need to make this look real. A few people behind you will probably get hit, but don’t worry — our guy on the roof is an expert marksman, so you don’t need to worry about getting shot. He’s also suicidal, which is why he’s chosen to take on this mission knowing that he himself will be immediately killed by a police sniper.

So as soon as you hear gunshots going off, the Secret Service will wrestle you to the ground. At that point, we want you to fall out of your shoes and squeeze this blood capsule over your ear. There will be a million cameras pointed at you, but we’re not worried about that because clearly you have the sleight-of-hand skills of a master magician. Then just wave your fist in the air, and the election is yours to lose.”

Is that how it went down?

[AZJonnie]

57. Thank you for your heaping doses of the reality on this thread EarlG

IMHO there is still doubt in my mind as to whether the ear injury was literally caused by the bullet striking his ear, but apart from that the rest of this sort of speculation is unproductive and frankly makes us look a bit like cranks.

[elocs]

38. Trump's defiant raised fist after being "shot" was an act because he is not brave at all.

The real Trump would have had himself hauled out of there as fast as possible since he is a coward. Most of the details about that "assassination" attempt just stink.

[k55f5r]

89. I watched the assassination attempt on tv

And when he got up, while 6 secret service agents were holding him down (ineffectually) and raised that DEFIANT FIST in the air I knew that it was a fake attack. SS are trained to not allow any further attacks on the target.

[vanlassie]

98. So fake.

[EarlG]

131. Watch the video I posted further down

Secret Service cover him with their bodies, 40 seconds later they get word that the shooter is down, then they hustle him off the stage. Trump is confused and disoriented and they have to struggle to move him. He practically has to fight them to raise his fist. One of the agents even tries to cover his hand while he’s doing it. It looks chaotic, and nothing like a performance.

[UTUSN]

40. K&R

[mobeau69]

43. What hospital? Who were the attending physicians? Why no press conference with them?

[EarlG]

47. Butler Memorial

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/donald-trump-butler-memorial-hospital-rally-shooting/

Remarks by Karen Allen, president of Butler Memorial, also a nurse:

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/butler-memorial-hospital-donald-trump-treatment-rally-shooting/

https://www.butlereagle.com/20240716/trump-treated-at-butler-memorial-to-the-surprise-of-medical-staff/

Here’s a report from a doctor who was at the rally:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-shooting-doctor-rendered-aid-wounded-shooting-victim/

[sarisataka]

45. "It never happened"

The people who died may have a different opinion.

You say you are not a medical person of any degree then proceed to make definitive claims about the human healing process. On what authority are you basing those claims given you admission of no medical background?

[Fiendish Thingy]

48. Kooky CT nonsense

Denial is a powerful coping mechanism to protect from the painful emotions of losing elections, but doesn’t help solve problems in the present,

[lark]

50. The guy said he loved krasnov and was doing what he wanted.

I believe him, even though hubs and sister think this is crazy.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

56. Cool story bro.

[Torchlight]

58. I tend to believe he was shot at

I also realize my opinion won't change the taste of mustard one way or the other.

[travelingthrulife]

59. Me either. They had the grifting all set up and ready to go.

I think they hired the kid to shoot over the crowd so they could stage their 'assassination attempt' photo op. The kid muffed it and hit someone accidentally. They dispatched the kid.
Just like in All Star Wrestling. Little fake blood pouch and off you go...

[RANDYWILDMAN]

65. wait, let me put my shoes on and Fight, Fight Fight

are what is throwing me, Secret service would never let that happen, watch any other assassination attempt in the US, the secret service does not roll like that period.

He was way way too exposed after that attempt and that does not pass a smell test.

Also have personal experience with a scab on my ear from sleep with a Cpap machine. Bleeds every few couple of weeks, damage shown on my ear takes months to heal, his damage is not real ! I don't have to be a doctor to tell anyone this.

[Ms. Toad]

64. This conspiracy crap is embarrassing.

We are supposed to be the reality-based party - and, despite disclaimers, this is a conspiracy theory - pure and simple.

Any explanation for what happened must take into account the entirety of the circumstances: Real bullets hit real people - one of whom died, and two more of whom were critically injured. Whether it was a bullet that grazed him or a fragment of something kicked up by a bullet, Trump was hit with something as a result of someone firing bullets at him. It could have been a bullet - bullets are not an all-or-nothing proposition. A bullet doesn't just obliterate everything it hits - it has to hit something of sufficient mass to cause massive damage. If it just grazed the tip of his ear, it could well have done the damage described by Ronny Jackson. But similar damage could have been caused by a more direct hit from something kicked up when the bullet hit something else nearby.

He may well have been exaggerating the severity of his wound, with the cooperation of "his" physician Ronny Jackson. But there was a wound. And any tearing wound would have caused the bleeding we all witnessed.

[kimbutgar]

67. And why wasn't the kid who shot him not reported on after the incident ?

I wouldn’t be shocked if the whole incident was made up and the kid doesn’t even exist! No grieving family, no ex fellow classmates talking about him, no funeral arrangements….it so smells like a made up incident for taco to gain sympathy and put him over the finish line with the muskrats help!

[sarisataka]

70. Please tell us you forgot to add the sarcasm tag

[kimbutgar]

85. I did

[EarlG]

73. Edited

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2025, 02:43 PM - Edit history (1)

(But I'll leave these here for people who don't realize you're being sarcastic.)

What we know about the Trump attacker

Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' emails reveal a student dreaming of a bright future. And contemplating a violent attack.

What we know about the Trump shooter

Trump shooter autopsy reveals cause of death after attempted assassination

Butler Investigation Evidence Photos

House of Representatives task force report

[republianmushroom]

71. All for press.

[flvegan]

72. 87 Recs

As of this moment.

Astonishing.

[Celerity]

109. dismaying

[demmiblue]

129. 126 now

I am totally not surprised, though.

[Aristus]

75. The closest I've ever come to being shot at was when I was in the Gulf in 1991.

Our base in the desert was hit by a Scud missile. It landed about a quarter of a mile away, and nobody was hurt. But my first reaction when the explosion happened was not to jump up, brandish a clenched fist, and do a "Look at me! Look at ME!" thing.

Everyone's reaction, including mine, was a confused: "Holy SHIT! What the fuck was that?"

And then, a few seconds later, they sounded the gas alarm. All enemy munitions at that point were assumed to have chemical weapons on board until proven otherwise. We donned our protective masks and spent the next half hour wearing them, silently saying "...shitshitshitshitshitshitshit..."

A 79 year-old mama's boy who is scared of his own shadow would not have reacted to being shot the way Trump did unless the whole thing was staged. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I have seen how human beings react under conditions of extreme stress, and Trump's reaction just doesn't add up.

[EarlG]

80. Maybe the Trump shooting didn't happen the way you remember it happening

He was not acting calm and collected at all, but seemed confused and panicked for more than a minute after the shooting. Here's the raw footage:

Trump is speaking. There is one shot, after which he looks surprised and grabs his ear and grits his teeth, then two more shots. Trump ducks down and Secret Service immediately pile on top of him. There are more shots fired (this is the shooter being taken out by police). Secret Service remain piled on top of Trump for a full 40 seconds before you hear them start shouting "Shooter's down, shooter's down," and, "Are we good to move?" and then, "We're clear, we're clear, we're clear."

About 20 seconds after that, they get Trump to his feet, at which point he starts asking for his shoes. He sounds disoriented and in shock. They pick him up and he looks a total mess. Then he remembers he's at a rally and does the raised fist while they're still trying to get him off the stage.

[Retrograde]

88. Thanks for posting this

I never bothered to watch any of the shooting when it originally happened. What struck me was, after he was helped up, he kept trying to take center stage while the agents were trying to block him with their bodies. Ingrained reactions on both sides, I think.

I still think he was hit by debris of some sort and milked the whole event for what he could. As for staging an "assassination attempt", finding someone who is that good a shot and who is willing to be killed is something that tends to happen more in movies than in real life.

[misanthrope]

93. I recall reading news reports in the immediate aftermath

that noted LEOs near the podium who were struck by debris. Due to that, I never ruled out what you posted above, that he was nicked by debris.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

121. Secretly

I wish the shooter had made his mark.

[ForgedCrank]

143. Really?

That's some Pol Pot level thinking.
And all this time I thought we were supposed to be better than them.

[sop]

136. Funny how the "iconic image" failed to depict Trump's palpable panic, confusion and fear.

[EarlG]

137. It's a single frame, captured by a professional photographer

That photographer was in the right place at the right time and got the shot of a lifetime.

Are you suggesting that the photographer was in on the plot? The photographer was Evan Vucci, the Associated Press’s chief photographer in Washington DC. He was later barred from accessing parts of the White House when Trump banned AP from covering him.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-photo-white-house-photographer/

You think the AP’s chief DC photographer was part of the conspiracy?

Watch the raw video of the event that I posted in this thread. It’s chaotic, and the moment the photo was taken was clearly not staged.

[sop]

139. I'm "suggesting" the single frame, the only frame depicting Trump as an "iconic" figure, was the one chosen

to represent what was a totally chaotic scene, while all the other images showing a feeble, panic-stricken Trump being literally carried off the stage and down the stairs by his Secret Service detail were not made public. All of those frames are not hanging in the White House, and the larger-than-life bronze sculpture does not depict Trump diving for his shoe while protected by a Secret Service scrum.

The "iconic photograph" of Trump raising his fist was clearly captured by the AP photographer who was standing at the foot of the stairs, looking up at the mass of SS agents carrying Trump back to the Beast. That image has been used by Trump to demonstrate his courage and cool demeanor at the very moment he was shot, when in reality that image doesn't represent what actually happened. That's what I'm "suggesting."

[EarlG]

140. Okay

Not sure I follow though. You said that all the other images of Trump weren't made public, and that's incorrect. But obviously Trump wouldn't choose to publicize any photo that made him look weak and confused. Why would he use any of the following in campaign merchandise, or put them on the White House wall?

[sop]

142. Obviously, the other still frames/images exist in the public record, as does video of the shooting and other coverage.

Predictably, my local newspaper ran the "iconic photograph," it didn't show the scared, confused and panicked Trump being hustled off the stage. I imagine few people actually saw the full sequence of still images captured that day, those wouldn't make Trump appear so heroic.

[EarlG]

144. Predictable indeed -- I don't disagree with you

In fact, by focusing on that single image, the media perhaps unwittingly helped stoke the conspiracy theory that it was all staged, because that one image (again, captured by a highly professional, expert news photographer) does seem almost too good to be true.

At the end of the day though, I don't think a conspiracy theory is necessary to show that a lot of mainstream media is generally lazy and loves to run with a single narrative. That photo did a lot of the work for them.

[rsdsharp]

82. I'm confused.

Why aren't they talking about the supposed shooter? Why did he POSE for a photo of how brave he was seconds after the staged event?

Can you post a copy of this photo? Is it different from the picture I saw of a corpse laying on the roof?

[ILikePie92]

84. Wha?

WTF are you talking about? He was obviously nicked by a bullet.

[karynnj]

86. An assassination attempt was made, he was VERY MINIMALLY hit

Others explain better than I could why a very superficial cut on hit ear bled profusely but then healed completely.

I think the reason there has been little followup is that law enforcement concluded he acted alone and was killed. The followup was investigations on Secret Services practices and local law enforcement actions.

Yes, Trump used the event once it happened and he was basically untouched.

[Polybius]

87. Starting off by saying something like "I'm not a conspiracy theorist but..."

Reminds me of those who start off a sentence saying "I'm not a racist, but..."

[Blue Full Moon]

91. They always do the thing the blame other for.

Crisis actors comes to mind.

[EarlG]

115. Okay but

Crisis actors just pretend to die. They don't actually die.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

95. There was a second "assassination attempt"

outside his brothel in Florida, too, I think...the shooter was miles away and never fired a shot.

Stupid and pathetic.

[egduj]

100. Some tough love being administered in this thread.

[Initech]

104. They literally had t-shirts made the next day.

You can't crank out merchandise that fast if you weren't planning something ahead of time.

[EarlG]

113. You can easily crank out merchadise that fast

See, for example, https://www.samedaytees.com

[TnDem]

106. Just stop it

This kind of thought really makes us look like goofballs... Of course he was shot. Someone else was shot and the shooter was shot with the gun.

Do you really think Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell would not be screaming at the rooftops if there was even a shred or inkling of truth to it?

This crap is birtherism on our side.

[ForgedCrank]

116. Are we

really going to do this?
Really, it makes us all look rather silly. This is mainstream Q level stuff right here. I hope it's just a joke I didn't get.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

119. It was bullshit

And the coverage on the media was so fawning it made me ill.

[demmiblue]

130. "I'm not a conspiracist."

[Takket]

132. It happened. There is literally a dead assassin and his gun left behind.

[EarlG]

135. I think there's a fair amount of wishful thinking going on in this thread

In fact I’d like to think that more than a few people who rec’d it did so because they would like to believe it’s true, not because they actually believe it. It was a fateful moment that gave Trump a lucky bump in the polls. If he’d been unlucky, he’d be dead. So I can understand people’s desire to believe that it was staged. But the theory completely falls apart if you think about it for more than two seconds.

Raw video of the footage does not look staged in any way. There really was an actual shooter who fired live ammunition directly at Trump. Two people, including the shooter, died at the scene.

In fact, the conspiracy theory is counterproductive, because it makes Trump seem MORE impressive than reality. Instead of being what he really is, which is an opportunistic asshole surrounded by incompetents, the conspiracy theory requires him to be part of a plot more unrealistic than a Hollywood thriller, where he has the courage to stand in the line of fire of live ammunition, and where people within a few yards of him actually die, for real. It requires him to pull off an acting performance under those circumstances capable of fooling everyone watching, not to mention all the cameras pointed at him.

Not only is it harder to believe than the truth, it makes Trump look smarter and braver than he really is. Why spread that theory around?

[betsuni]

138. He didn't need it, followers love him no matter what, fake attempt is too much trouble

and requires competence and probably costs something -- real attempt is free and we know how cheap Trump is.

[rso]

151. Trump shooting

It seems to me that with all the three letter Federal Agencies under Biden’s control during the shooting and for 6 months thereafter, any sort of conspiracy would have come to light.

[Ping Tung]

152. Do not stand by my grave and weep