One year after the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, political tensions remain high as conspiracy theories and misinformation continue to swirl across the internet. In the aftermath of the shooting, both Republicans and Democrats expressed outrage, concern, and suspicion.
The incident led to the formation of a bipartisan investigative body named The Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, which aims to “understand what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination, to ensure accountability, and to prevent such an agency failure from ever happening again.”
While the task force has been working toward a comprehensive review, online speculation has flourished. Among the most controversial claims is the allegation that President Joe Biden ordered the attack on Trump. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) publicly suggested Biden’s involvement, citing a controversial statement made by the president just days before the attempt.
On July 8, 2024, Biden reportedly told donors, “It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye. We can’t go another day, another day, without explaining what he’s doing, and we have to go after him.” Collins reposted a viral quote on X with the caption, “Joe Biden sent the orders.” He also urged the Republican district attorney in Butler County to “immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.”
Biden later addressed the controversy in an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, saying, “It was a mistake to use the word. I didn’t say crosshairs. I meant bull’s-eye, I meant focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing.” Conspiracy theories escalated as some claimed the event was a “false flag” designed to shift media attention away from concerns about Biden’s health.
Conservative commentator Laura Loomer warned of a major incident days before the shooting, writing on July 7, “Don’t be shocked if there’s a major incident in our country… Bookmark this tweet.” After the attempt, she reposted her own prediction, claiming, “I said something would happen this week… And someone did it.”
Others pushed an even more provocative narrative: that the assassination attempt was staged by Trump’s own team. BBC journalist Marianna Spring reported that two politically opposed women—Desirée, a pro-Trump influencer, and Camille, a long-time Democrat—both believed the shooting was orchestrated to boost Trump’s electoral chances or blame the so-called “Deep State.”
Misidentification also plagued the aftermath. Photos of unrelated individuals falsely labeled as the shooter spread online. One viral image claimed Italian sports reporter Marco Violi was the gunman. “I categorically denied any involvement,” Violi told Reuters after waking to hundreds of messages. Another man, Maxwell Yearick, was also wrongly named. A year later, the truth behind the attempt continues to be dissected, as misinformation competes with facts in the public square.