Since July 13, numerous false claims regarding the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump have been circulating on social media. Among these, social media users published a photo of Donald Trump taken during the attack, claiming that a bullet aimed at Trump was stopped by a bulletproof vest. The users asserted that the attacker on Trump was not the one identified by the Secret Service and that Trump was shot at with two different weapons.
Additionally, based on an article from the publication “Politico,” it is reported that Joe Biden said about Trump: “So, we’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.” This quote is being linked to the recent attack, suggesting Biden’s culpability in it.
The disseminated information contains factual inaccuracies and conspiracy theories: 1) There was no bullet hole in Trump’s jacket; 2) In context, Joe Biden was referring to targeting his opponent and launching a political attack, not shooting Trump; 3) According to official information, the attacker acted alone.
The bullet fired at Donald Trump was not stopped by a bulletproof vest
The detail indicated in the photo does not depict a bullet mark on Trump’s jacket. A high-resolution photo clearly shows that it is part of the former president’s security personnel’s jacket and not bullet holes. This information has also been verified by the American fact-checking platform Lead Stories.
Furthermore, no bullet marks are visible on Trump’s clothing in photos taken from other angles.
Did Biden Say “it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye”?
The article published by “Politico” on July 8 has become the basis for spreading conspiracy theories. The article referred to a recording of a conversation between Biden and donors, fragments of which the publication released in writing. In the article, we read that Biden addressed the donors with the following words: “I have one job, and that is to defeat Trump. I am absolutely convinced that I am the best person to do this. So, we’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.” Biden used the word “bullseye,” which contextually means politically targeting Trump and not literally shooting him in the head.
After the attack on Donald Trump, Biden clarified his words. He noted that using that word was a mistake; however, he said that the quote meant: “I meant focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told at the debate.”
How many weapons were used to shoot Trump?
According to the FBI, the attacker on Trump is 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who acted alone during the assassination attempt. The claim that Trump was shot at with different weapons was spread on Twitter, citing CNN as the source. However, the media actually wrote that there were several shots at the gathering from three different weapons. CNN did not write that three weapons were aimed at Trump. The information has been verified by the American fact-checking organization Lead Stories. They contacted CNN’s audio researchers, who noted that they simply analyzed the audio and counted the acoustic impulses. At this stage, from the FBI’s investigation and the Secret Service’s statements, we know that the snipers neutralized the attacker at the scene, which likely negates the fact that the shooting happened from three different weapons.
Numerous disinformation and conspiracy theories have spread on the internet regarding the assassination attempt of Trump. Several of them have already been debunked by “Myth Detector.” See more in detail:
- DISINFORMATION AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF TRUMP
- DISINFORMATION ABOUT THE ATTACK ON TRUMP UNDER THE NAME OF A SECRET SERVICE SNIPER
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