New Delhi, India

Did Donald Trump stage the Saturday (Jul 13) assassination attempt? Is he lying about being hit in the ear by a bullet? Conspiracy theories suggest so.

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After the attack, the Republican presidential presumptive candidate Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, and said, "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."

"Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening," he said.

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Teleprompter shards or bullet?

Reports indicate that Trump was never hit by the bullet. NEWSMAX citing a source in law enforcement reported that the bleeding was due to glass shards. 

It reports that the teleprompter Trump was reading from was hit, causing the glass to shatter and injure his ear, leading to the bleeding.

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Also read | All we know about Thomas Mathew Crooks, the man linked to assassination bid on Donald Trump

As per RawStory, News Company Axios too reported the same information, citing a source of its own. However, the information has since then been deleted from X. 

Democrats tried to kill Trump?

Another conspiracy theory, backed by Republicans and Trump supporters, suggests that the security lapses that led to Trump being shot at were planned. 

Republican supporters have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to declare that with this incident, Trump's victory in the November elections is all but done.

The running narrative among Trump supporters is that "Donald Trump took a bullet for this country." 

Also read | Donald Trump dodges death as gunman shoots at him during Campaign Rally in Pennsylvania

People were also quick to praise Trump's iconic moment, where he pumped his fist in the air as blood trickled down his face.

"No panic. No crawling on his knees to safety. The man stands up, faces the crowd, and yells 'Fight,' wrote one user, while another said: "F**k you Dems. Swing at the king, ya best not miss."

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Inside Job?

A video circulating on social media has led people to suggest that the assassination attempt could be an inside job. Watch it here:

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Missouri Secretary of State Valentina Gomez in a video posted on X said that the security failure was "on purpose." She alleged that "someone in his security detail is clearly compromised."

Watch what she said:

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Staged assassination attempt?

Some netizens were also quick to call the assassination attempt "Fake News," comparing it to the 1963 of John F. Kennedy.

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Also read | Explained | Donald Trump survives assassination attempt: A history of US Presidents targeted by gunmen

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(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.