Within mere hours of the Trump assassination attempt on the 13th of July, 2024, social posts were abuzz with claims that the event had been staged. There were even rumours that he had used some sort of blood capsule typically used in movies. Is there any truth to these rumours, though, or are they merely among the countless conspiracies that do the rounds following any such public incident? Let’s strip away all the layers of speculation and see if we can uncover the facts.
What Happened the Day of the Trump Assassination Attempt
On the 13th of July, 2024, thousands of people had gathered to hear Trump speak in Butler, Pennsylvania, when several shots were fired at the president. Secret Service agents instantly dove to cover the president, and blood could be seen splattered across his ear and face. The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot shortly after, as he lay positioned across the roof of a nearby building.
Not every bullet aimed at Trump hit its mark, though, with one attendee killed and another critically injured in the incident. Shortly after the incident, social media posts claiming that it was all a staged hoax started circulating. This prompted certain fact-checking sites, such as Snopes and Politifact, to find out what the truth was behind these conspiratorial posts. After reviewing the online posts, Politifact rated these claims as “Pants on Fire” – or false, to be precise. According to their findings, there were no credible or official accounts that supported any claims of a hoax.
The Blood Capsule Rumours
But why did so many people say that fake blood was used during the shooting? Soon after the Trump assassination attempt, a meme started to spread that attributed a specific quote to a retired detective by the name of Duane Lee Proctor. According to the meme, Trump was not actually shot, and a blood capsule was used to make it look as if he was. Snopes examined this meme and noted that it had spread across multiple social platforms without any evidence to back up its claims. According to the conspiracy theory, the long blood streaks across Trump’s cheeks could not have been caused by a bullet that had entered from the front.
However, what they failed to take into account was that Trump was forced to the ground by the servicemen shortly after he was grazed by the bullet. With his head facing downward, the blood would have dripped from his ear and slid down his cheek, creating the streaks that can be seen when he got back up and began to chant “fight, fight,” at the gathered crowd. In fact, press photos taken at the moment that the president was on he ground reveal that blood was indeed dripping down his face at that time. Proctor had also asserted that if he was truly shot from the front, then there would be blood around his ear in his hair. According to Proctor, there wasn’t any to be seen.
More Theories
However, considering how much blood is visible in the same picture, it appears that this claim is false, too. Once Trump rose from the ground, raising his fist in defiance, photographers started taking photos of the moment, with the American flag clearly visible in the background. Some people felt that the placement of the flag within the image was too convenient and that they had attempted to fabricate the moment to appear more iconic. Theories arose that the crane operators had actually lowered the large American flag to create the perfect photo opportunity.
So, is the man who made these posts even real, or is he, too, a fabrication? Well, Snopes has managed to find a Duan Lee Proctor on social media who claims he is a retired detective lieutenant and police academy instructor in South Carolina. He also claims to have earned a master’s degree in criminal justice. According to Proctor, he also spent two decades working as a licensed private investigator. According to his Facebook bio, he also had a notable career in music. Some reports even mention that he was awarded the male vocalist of the year prize in 2008 by the International Country Music Association.
After any public incident, endless conspiracy theories start to do the rounds. In the era of social media, it isn’t long before these theories capture the imagination of the public and start to spread like wildfire. Whether they actually hold any water barely seemed to be of any consequence if the story is juicy enough. However, as we have uncovered with this story, most of the time, these conspiracies are based on speculation, assumption, misinterpretation, and often, outright lies. Yet, it only takes a little digging to realize that they are usually baseless and without any merit.
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