Liberals online are pushing a conspiracy theory that the attempt on President Trump’s life was staged. The narrative surged after the Butler, Pennsylvania attack and has continued for more than a year, with influencers and anonymous accounts repeating the claim to millions.

One post raged, “This gets me SO F’king ANGRY!! 100% STAGED.” Another insisted the injury was faked because his ear appeared to heal quickly, trying to turn recovery into a talking point instead of acknowledging the attack itself.

On the day of the attempt, one account declared, “That shooting so f***ing staged dawg they clipped Trump’s ear with a damn rubber bullet,” and added, “omfg he just won the election.” That message drew more than 230,000 likes and millions of impressions, showing how fast misinformation can travel.

The theory did not go away. “When asked about his ear yesterday, trump said ‘I heal quickly,’” another account fumed a month later. “… This gets me SO F’king ANGRY!! 100% STAGED.” Engagement remained high as imitators echoed the same talking points.

Even as evidence mounted against the hoax, the posts kept coming. A message from October 2024 claimed, “In a DESPERATE attempt to win votes, get elected and avoid prison, trump STAGED an assassination attempt in Butler, PA. He is guilty of 2nd degree murder! The TRUTH is a WHISPER away!!!” It collected more than 21,000 likes.

Another viral claim from January read, “Donald Trump’s assassination attempt was staged. If it was real, the Secret Service would have rushed him off the stage. Instead, they propped him up & let him stand there out in the open saying ‘Fight!’ three times,” earning over 129,000 likes.

The drumbeat continued into the spring. “Trump’s approval rating is tanking so it’s probably time for another staged assassination attempt to goose his numbers,” one April post said, drawing thousands of likes. The obsession carried on into recent days, with a new claim alleging, “This was all staged by Trump! Why did he not have blood on his hair???? Cause he wasn’t shot!!!!” That message surpassed 5,300 likes.

Despite the noise, there is no evidence the attempt was staged. Even mainstream fact-checkers rejected the narrative. One assessment concluded the “staged” claims are “Pants on Fire,” noting that the FBI is investigating the attack as an assassination attempt and that it was witnessed by thousands, including numerous reporters and photographers.

Those facts matter. The FBI’s ongoing investigation, the on-the-ground witnesses, and the documented injury cut directly against the conspiracy. The insistence that the Secret Service response proves a hoax ignores how protective details adapt moment by moment to threats and crowd conditions.

The persistence of the theory shows how social media can turn outlandish claims into trending narratives. It also shows why conservatives have been right to demand accountability from platforms that amplify falsehoods while claiming neutrality. When millions of impressions reward the most reckless voices, truth has to push harder to be heard.

President Trump has continued leading and moving forward, refusing to let lies define the moment. His resilience in the face of violence and smear campaigns contrasts sharply with the left’s fixation on fantasy. The country deserves facts, not agitprop dressed up as courage.

This is where the conservative movement stands firm. We reject the hoax, we stand with truth, and we back a president who kept his focus on results even after an attack. The message to the smear machine is simple: you will not break this movement—America is wide awake.