This newest bit of MAGA news could quickly blow over, or turn into a huge freaking deal. MAGAs in increasing numbers are upset with Trump. The Epstein Files. The strikes in the Caribbean and the Venezuela raid, and now outright war with Iran. Then there’s Trump telling them cost of living is down when every day they see otherwise. We never thought we’d see the day but MAGAs are questioning their Trumpy and some are doing so publicly. Still, learning that MAGAs are starting to question whether the shooting in Butler was an actual attempt on Trump’s life or a staged event is a BFD.
Trump played the incident for all it was worth and a cowed media quickly went with the Trump campaign narrative he’d been struck by a bullet. The truth, that like some state police officers a few feet away on the far side from the shooter were hit with shrapnel and the quite minor wound to Trump’s ear was also shrapnel. It was a minor wound and he left the ER with the tiny bandage you see in the title picture showing Trump boarding Air Force One to go home. Of course for weeks afterwards we saw him wearing that ridiculous ear diaper, talking like part of his ear had been blown off. Yet when he finally realized the mocking wouldn’t stop photos showed barely anything. Now? You’d never know he’d been nicked at all!
However as I said the Trump promoted narrative became the accepted story. It also likely propelled him back into the White House. Still, questions have been out there. One person who was twenty feet away and was killed by the (Trump supporter – at least prior to the shooting) sniper. As someone who started hunting at an early age and once upon a time a Marine infantryman I can assure you conditions were perfect. It was an easy shot to hit Trump. With a scope even a head shot would have been easy. Trump doesn’t exactly jump around on stage! And how could he set up in the prone position well out on that rooftop which SHOULD have had LE on it and not get seen by the counter-sniper team?
The point is there’s more than enough unanswered questions to fuel conspiracy theories which until now have come from left-wing types. That’s changing according to Alternet. Again, as the linked article explains the theories about the incident being staged aren’t new, but RWNJ types circulating them is:
Now, however, as Trump has made numerous decisions in his second term that have run afoul of his MAGA supporters, an increasing number of them have also begun to cast doubt on the official narrative surrounding his assassination attempt. One of the most prominent names so far has been far-right pundit and influencer, Milo Yiannopoulos.
“I hate myself for thinking it but dude that s——t wasn’t real,” Yiannopoulos wrote in a recent post to X, responding to another similarly skeptical user. “There was no assassination attempt. It didn’t happen. I’m sorry it just didn’t.”
I’ll admit to having forgotten about Milo but it seems he never went away and still yaps his crap to conservatives. Then you have those who already had the scales fall from their eyes weighing in:
“As we learn more about the scam filled life of Donald Trump, why isn’t there a serious investigation into the staged ‘assassination’ attempt in Butler, PA,” another X anti-Trump Republican X user wrote in a post. “THAT was the moment when Trump stole the 2024 election. Get after it investigative journalists! America deserves the truth!”
Elsewhere self-described libertarian-conservative influencer Hannah Cox weighed in saying she hadn’t ever watched the clip until now. She compares the reaction of the crowd closest to Trump with those next to Charlie Kirk and says no way this wasn’t staged. As you’d expect Trump has people pushing back but this is still something to keep an eye on. That there’s enough MAGA infighting about whether Butler was staged (and yes, Trump would sacrifice a random crowd member or two if he thought it would help him) could be a canary in the MAGA (beautiful) coal mine.
Like I said it might get lost in all the other noise. However the fact MAGAs are expressing doubts about Trump on multiple MAGA hobbyhorses might mean they will re-think their unquestioning acceptance of the bullshit narrative Team Trump spun after the shooting. Stay tuned.
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Call me cynical, but I’ve been thinking it was staged all along. I’m very, very sorry someone in the audience died for it. That part is wretched. There were too many “mistakes” to think it was an actual attempt. Staged is the only reason that makes any sense whatsoever. But I’M not LE, so it’s only an opinion.
I don’t believe you are alone with that theory.
The official narrative doesn’t fit with reality!