‘Directed’: Disbelief, conspiracy theories and hate comments after Donald Trump’s assassination attempt

Within minutes of the news of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the word “staged” trended on X in the US. It’s a word that has become synonymous with conspiracy theories on social media, often to call into question an attack or a shooting. But in the hours since the attack in Pennsylvania, US, it has entered the mainstream online conversation, with posts full of unsubstantiated speculation, hate and swearing garnering millions of views on X, the BBC reports. Attempts to assassinate US presidents have spawned conspiracy theories in the past – most famously the assassination of John F Kennedy in November 1963. This was the first to be watched in real time, “so it’s no surprise that the unfounded rumors started”, notes the publication and continues: “But what stood out is how this frenzy captured all sides of the political spectrum.” The theories […]
Source: News Beast

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