One thing that happens when something outrageous dominates the news cycle, be it a hurricane, plane crash or the breakup of the bromance between a sitting president and his billionaire backer, is that other news stories of note get buried. People only have so much bandwidth on any given day and a lot of important things get shoved to the side. Let me give you a caveat to what you’re about to read: What’s here is valid and from a valid source, which is to say that Alex Jones and Catturd are fighting over an allegation that the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting was in fact a staged assassination attempt.
I don’t know if it was. This is the first I’ve heard of such an allegation. But this much I can say, whether it was or not, the very fact that Jones is promulgating such an idea indicates that he’s less than 100% loyal to Trump. Jones always follows the blowing of the wind and maybe he’s on Musk’s side — or even Musk’s payroll. I speculate. But it is intriguing that this comes to light at this time. The timing is interesting, especially since Musk is pushing for the Epstein files release. Meidas Touch:
… It was a day when all the worst people were fighting, as Alex Jones and MAGA influencer Catturd went at it after Jones agreed with a post that the shooting at Trump’s rally in PA may have been a staged assassination attempt, and the reason why Dep. FBI Dir. Dan Bongino is so stressed out is because he has seen evidence of that and FBI files detailing Trump’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
… Catturd posted to his 3.7 million followers: “What a POS Alex Jones turned out to be – what a fucking fraud. He’s literally implying here that Trump is a pedophile. He’s been silent all day while Trump has been viciously, attacked with lies. I used to respect Alex Jones, but now he’s just a piece of shit fraud. What a fucking sellout.”
… Alex Jones (4.4 million followers) responded: “You are publicly telling verified lies. I never called Trump a pedo. I think you have had a mental breakdown. It’s ok I forgive you. But your mind is like a dirty cat box.”
What would you expect from a guy who calls himself Catturd? In all events, forget these fools fighting and calling each other names. That’s irrelevant. What about the substantive claims — admittedly vague that they are — that Butler was a staged assassination attempt? And that Dan Bongino knows? That is not an incredible statement. I call your attention to the fact that when then-FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress about the shooting in Butler, he opined that Trump was hit with a piece of shrapnel. And that is most likely what did in fact happen.
If you haven’t read this piece that we posted about the Butler shooting, do so now. Simply, four police officers were examined for minor shrapnel wounds at the local Butler hospital. Likely, Wray was right and Trump was hit by shrapnel. But that wasn’t dramatic enough for Trump so he had to claim that he was shot in the ear, and then that magnified to part of the ear was shot off, but then miraculously grew back, we guess.
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo broke the story, which was then amplified by Heather Cox Richardson and while these are high credibility sources, nobody in the mainstream media chose to go out on a limb and oppose Trump’s claim of having been “struck by a bullet in the ear.” So that became the report in all the papers of record. The journalists that day — with the few exceptions named above — became stenographers and just printed what Trump told them, fact checking be damned.
So, back to Wray and his comment about the shrapnel: Trump was enraged, naturally, and went on about how he had been struck by a bullet. But Wray’s comment certainly would indicate that Wray read a report to that effect.
And who knows what else might have been in that report? It is possible that the young man on the roof was a MAGA recruit and was told that he was in no danger, he would be apprehended and MAGA would take care of him — and if he believed that, he’s an example of Darwin’s Law and he deserved to get shot to death.
Again, this is all speculation. But it is fascinating to contemplate, is it not? And even the mere fact that Alex Jones would endorse this idea is indicative of a sea change. Jones went on record years ago saying he “wished [he] never met Donald Trump.” Jones may be only too glad to jump into Musk’s camp.
And Musk is right about one thing, he will outlast Trump. Not by another forty years and into his nineties — not unless he changes his health habits substantially and now — but he will outlast Trump both literally and politically. Jones has every motivation to jump ship.
I wonder what other revelations are keeping Dan Bongino and Kash Patel awake nights? And I wonder what revelations might find their way into a shredder? And I also wonder who may have had the foresight to make a digital copy of what finds its way to the shredder so as to be able to reveal it in a post-Trump era?
We don’t do conspiracy theory here and neither does Meidas Touch, but let’s face it: you get a lot of conspiracy theorists in power and somebody is going to stand up to them, however passive/aggressively, and the waters will get muddied. I think we can agree upon that as fact. I also think we can agree that Bongino was a wreck during his last public appearance, talking about staring at the four walls.
It would not surprise me one jot if long term employees at both the FBI and the Pentagon and elsewhere in government, seeing what abject idiots would be in charge, took it upon themselves to safeguard America’s secrets. Maybe what has happened is that the conspiracy theorists managed to create, in ad hoc fashion, the infamous Deep State of legend and lore. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
Let’s not forget that someone WAS actually killed in the ‘assassination attempt’, so if there was a plot, murder charges will be involved.
Or do we now have an America where the death of innocent bystanders is merely ‘collateral damage’ ?
Murder charges would be involved. Which is why it’s so convenient that the shooter is dead.
There are two possibilities here: The young man was a lousy shot, or he was persuaded to fire shots near Trump but far enough away so as to be sure not to hit him.
Let’s look at the second one first since to many people this is true CT/Tinfoil Hat territory. Firing those types of rounds from that type of weapon anywhere near enough to Trump to create the impression he was in danger and “only God’s will” saved him means firing into a crowd. Multiple times. That would ensure major injuries to innocent bystanders (yes, they were MAGAs but still it’s appalling) and most likely death. Which is exactly what happened. I for one find it very difficult to believe this shooter thought he’d simply be arrested and either acquitted at trial or only do a short amount of time in prison. Unless he was batshit insane he had to know there would be snipers on overwatch. Even if he shot well over Trump and the viewing stands or off to the side not hitting anything they would have seen him shooting and shot him. Also that if the counter snipers shot at him it would be shoot to kill. That would mean he’d chosen to do a “no return” mission, a ‘death by cop’ suicide.
The ONLY thing that gives a shred of credibility to the “staged” allegation is that he was so easily spotted on that rooftop. LE was supposed to have people in a position nearby and above him and for reasons that have never been explained abandoned it. Also, the spotter for the sniper that took the shooter out was scanning around and had ample opportunity to see him. Was any radio call made to the team that was near this kid? That’s one of those details no one seems to have dug out. However within seconds the LE sniper team killed the guy. The spotter needed a few second to provide direction/location and range which is why what, five or six shots were fired by the guy before he was killed?
I guess it’s possible this idiot thought if he popped off some shots that didn’t hurt anyone he’d get John Hinckley treatment. Put in a psychiatric hospital only for not as long. Then at the last minute realized he was a dead man no matter what, but being so crazed a MAGA as to have agreed with the whole thing in the first place couldn’t bring himself to shoot at Trump (an easy shot – I’ll get to that) and decided to go out by shooting close enough to make it look “good.” I find that fantastically complicated and damned near impossible to believe.
There’s a simpler explanation. Trump’s hand picked Secret Service detail, picked because of their ability to suck up to him had grown lax in the performance of their duties. That includes proper coordination with state and local LE at events including Butler. Trump in retrospect was far more vulnerable than people realize. Luckily for him the kid was a really lousy shot, or panicked/choked when he decided to start shooting or both.
The last time I fired a rifle was deer season in late 2003. However, I could I’m certain (I was a Marine grunt once upon a time so I’m well familiar with his weapon) at that distance and in those near perfect conditions from a prone shooting position nailed Trump in the upper chest on the first shot. Since the rifle was fitted with a scope that had been dialed in a head shot would have been no problem. I’ve had a near lifetime of experience (at least until I moved back to the city) of handling adrenaline and elevated heart rate while shooting.
So I believe the guy simply missed. And that one of the bullets struck the metal railing of the grandstand behind Trump sending shrapnel his direction. One bit nicked Trump on his ear and other bits injured those four cops, and if memory serves others in the crowd. Another more gruesome possibility is that since the firefighter who died was struck in the head the shrapnel was skull fragments rather than metal. Either way it was shrapnel.
Trump sustained a minor wound. He’s probably cut himself worse shaving countless times. He has to be furious someone snapped a pic of him AFTER leaving the ER with that little mini-band aid thing on his ear. Not NEARLY dramatic enough so he started wearing what I like to call his ‘ear diaper’ and MAGA were only too happy to imitate their turd god emperor.
I don’t doubt Trump was pissed in the moment. Not scarred, but pissed. His speech had been interrupted. He probably didn’t even feel it in the moment but he had that tiny wound on his ear that was bleeding and messing up his cheap suit. Secret Service agents had knocked him down and piled on top of him which was not fun for him. I’m sure he felt it made him look weak! Alas, his PR instincts kicked in instantly when he realized he was bleeding and he made the most of it. And the “took a bullet” MYTH was born.
I’m sure you’re correct and Wray saw reports from various people that indicated Trumpty had been struck by shrapnel. I’m equally sure Bondi has issued orders those reports be destroyed. Let’s just hope as has been suggested that backups exist in places Trumpkin idiots like Bondi, Patel and ‘Bondingleberry’ don’t know to look!