Who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind

After spreading numerous conspiracy theories, Donald Trump is now directly targeted by one of them. What if the attack on the American president at the dinner for correspondents on Saturday, April 25th was actually just a “staged” event? This message went viral in just a few hours on social media. Under the English term “Staged,” the theory has been reshared thousands of times on X.

Some believe that Trump’s camp is behind this staging, while others claim it is an action of Israel. Some internet users go even further by asserting that it is an operation aimed at legitimizing the idea of a ballroom in the White House, as reported by Le Parisien.

It often starts with several tweets from “troll” accounts on social media. One of them simply shared the name of the shooter: “Cole Allen.” What caught people’s attention was the tweet’s publication date: December 22, 2023. The banner of the account, which had never shared anything else, is the “Time Machine” project. As if everything was planned in advance? Conspiracy theorists seized the opportunity and saw a time traveler.

Conspiracy theorists on social media

As analyzed by the New York Times, influencers are also part of this spiral of conspiracy theories by sharing information that may not be true, but gives them visibility on social media platforms, including X. For example, Mario Nawfal stated on X that he did not believe in the conspiracy posts he was publishing.

If conspiracy theories abound, it is also due to Donald Trump’s propensity to spread them himself, from Barack Obama’s birth certificate to the 2020 election theft. This fuels his most radical base. Even in the administration, conspiracies have a place, like with Health Minister Robert Kennedy Jr. and FBI Director Kash Patel, who are recognized conspiracy theorists.

This climate of suspicion is fueled by other recent events, notes Tristan Mendès-France in Le Parisien, such as two previous assassination attempts against Donald Trump in July 2024 in Pennsylvania during the presidential campaign and later in Florida.

“Conspiracy theories are part of political and popular culture”

In addition, the American president is working tirelessly to undermine the credibility of the media, especially those that dare to criticize him and his decisions. He calls them “fake news media,” encouraging distrust among Americans.

However, “conspiracy theories are part of political and popular culture in the United States, and there is a relatively high level of acceptance,” pointed out Julien Giry, a specialist in fake news. As highlighted by Corentin Sellin, a history professor and US specialist, on France Info: “Conspiracy theories in the United States are abundant with assassination attempts on presidents.” Not everything is Trump’s fault in the end.