'I hate Trump, she likes him - we both think he staged assassination attempts'

In the state of Colorado, two women named Wild Mother and Camille have very different political beliefs regarding Donald Trump, yet they share a surprising commonality: both believe that the assassination attempts against him were staged. Wild Mother, who resides in the picturesque mountains of Colorado, is an enthusiastic supporter of Trump and shares her insights on holistic wellness and parenting with her substantial online following. In contrast, Camille lives in the suburbs of Denver and is a passionate advocate for racial and gender equality, having voted for the Democratic Party for the past 15 years. Despite their stark political differences, both women attribute their beliefs about the staged assassination attempts to the influence of social media posts that have reached their feeds. I traveled to Colorado, a state that has become a focal point for conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election, to delve deeper into why these unfounded theories have gained traction across the political spectrum and the implications for individuals like Camille and Wild Mother. During my investigation, I discovered numerous evidence-free posts suggesting that the assassination attempts were fabricated, which have collectively garnered over 30 million views on the social media platform X. Some of these posts originated from anti-Trump accounts that typically do not share such theories, while a smaller portion came from supporters of the former president. For Camille, the belief is that Trump’s team orchestrated these events to enhance his chances of winning the election. On the other hand, Wild Mother, who is already a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges that Trump is engaged in a covert battle against a secretive group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles, is inclined to believe that Trump’s own team staged the attack to frame his perceived adversaries within the so-called 'Deep State. ' The Deep State is often described as a shadowy coalition of intelligence and security agencies that allegedly work to undermine certain politicians. However, there is no credible evidence to support either woman’s theories. Wild Mother, who has been influenced by online narratives suggesting that Trump staged the attack to discredit his enemies, is no stranger to alternative ways of thinking. Camille, on the other hand, admits that this is the first time she has ever considered the term 'staged' in relation to a news event. She has always believed in the reality of COVID-19 and has been staunchly opposed to the false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. However, on July 13 of this year, while watching live coverage of Trump being shot at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, she found herself thinking, 'Oh, that’s staged. ' The way Trump was able to pose for a photo and raise his fist in defiance sparked her suspicions. She began to question how the Secret Service allowed such an incident to occur. The director of the Secret Service has since resigned due to failures on that day, and the shooter, a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service snipers. His motives remain unclear, leaving many questions unanswered. Camille’s thoughts spiraled further as she sought answers on social media. In the years leading up to the shooting, she had increasingly turned to X, where she followed pro-Democrat and anti-Trump accounts. 'I would admit to you that I spend too much time on social media now, and it, in my mind, is kind of a problem,' she confesses. Camille explains that recent changes to X’s 'For You' feed led her to see more posts from accounts she does not follow, which aligned with her political views. Many of these accounts had also purchased blue verification ticks, which gave their posts more visibility. Consequently, when the first assassination attempt occurred, unfounded conspiracy theories suggesting it was staged were not only recommended to her feed but were also more convincing due to their alignment with her existing beliefs about Trump. Most social media companies claim to have guidelines in place to protect users and reduce harmful content, but X did not respond to requests for comment. I traveled from Colorado to Baltimore and New York to uncover how social media is shaping the presidential race. Wild Mother, too, has turned to social media to find her community, having been labeled 'a weirdo, an alien, a diamond in the rough' in her offline life. She began sharing her views on natural medicine and motherhood in 2021, and as she started posting unproven theories about various events, her following grew. Wild Mother believes she has been exposed to what she calls an 'alternative idea about reality' since childhood, and she is convinced that we have been misled about significant historical events, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 9/11 attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her interest in Trump grew during the pandemic as she became more involved with the QAnon movement, which often discusses child abuse and trafficking. As a mother, she is particularly concerned about these allegations. 'I would never in my life even imagine some of the stuff that I've had to hear is going on right now, under our noses. And it blows my mind. We have to be able to protect our most innocent,' Wild Mother states. The way Trump posed defiantly after the shots were fired raised Camille’s suspicions. Both women have found that their beliefs have impacted their relationships with others. Camille struggles to engage in conversations with family members who support Trump, while Wild Mother attributes her separation from her ex-husband to their differing views on conspiracy theories. 'Does it make it difficult? Yes. Did it create a wedge? Was it possibly one of the things that ended my marriage? Maybe,' she reflects. Meanwhile, Camille has also found herself embroiled in arguments on X, which has made her more guarded in her real-life interactions. 'It's a little scary because I feel like every time I leave the house, it's a potential for conflict,' she admits. This atmosphere of suspicion and conflict has broader implications for society as well. Officials, election workers, and politicians across the United States have faced threats as a result of the widespread belief that elections and other events are rigged or staged. Wild Mother believes that people are 'walking a really fine line' between seeking justice and engaging in harmful behavior. 'It's not writing your senators and calling them racist names. But if you were somebody who truly did your research and found that there was an issue, do I agree that you should use your voice? Absolutely,' she asserts. 'I think that we all have ways of doing that. For them, it just so happens to be harassing people. ' While both women claim they have never threatened anyone and appear to be kind-hearted individuals, the mistrust fostered by their social media feeds has eroded their faith in society and its institutions. Camille, who once opposed conspiracy theories, now finds herself using the language of such theories. This transformation illustrates how social media can draw individuals into a world detached from reality, as seen in the aftermath of the assassination attempt and the algorithms that lead people deeper into these beliefs.