I used to be a Foreign Service officer, and lived overseas in a number of countries where conspiracy theories flourished, particularly about the U.S. and our motives. Our mistakes, in particular, were generally ascribed to some unknown strategic purpose. I would tell people, "Never ascribe to conspiracy something that can be adequately explained by incompetence."
There are many legitimate questions marks and sometimes we just have to admit the naked truth, which is that we don’t know the truth, at least not for the time being.
There have been a number of conspiracy theories that have been proven right in the past couple of years. To ridicule a possible hypothesis with sneers about conspiracy theories, or comparing it to absurd ideas has become commonplace, a way to dismiss it altogether without examining it.
In regard to the present subject, it has been suggested that the failure to notice and neutralize the would-be assassin was incompetence. I'm sorry, no one, but no one, is that incompetent. Particularly when you take into account that they have been trained. Let's look at the details:
Something stinks about the attempt itself, to wit, the only building with a clear and obvious line of sight to the rally was not manned by the police or secret service.
Two, dozens of civilians saw the shooter climb up the building to the roof with a rifle and pointed him out to the authorities but were ignored (there are several videos on TikTok to that effect).
Three, he was wearing dark clothing against a white roof so he stood out and could be seen from the platforms at the rally.
Four, he fired eight---eight!---shots before any action was taken him out.
Five, a number of Secret Service personnel were pulled from the team to cover an event with Jill Biden (as if there were people who wanted her dead).
Six, it appears that a Secret Service sniper by the name of Jonathan Willis sighted the would-be assassin for three minutes prior to the shooting and asked several times for permission to take him out, but he was denied permission by the head of the Secret Service. He finally disobeyed orders, killing the shooter, thereby saving lives, and was consequently fired. The head of the Secret Service is a diversity hire who often voiced the mantra of DIE (Diversity, Inclusiveness, Equity) and hired short, fat women to guard Trump. She stated the roof where the shooter comfortably positioned himself was slanted, which is why no personnel was stationed there. And now, Mayorkas and his minions are obstructing a Congressional investigation.
Seven, prior to shooting, a local police officer climbed up to the roof with a ladder, saw the would-be shooter, then climbed down again. Nobody wants to say that it was a plot by an Administration staffed by individuals with a blinding, obsessed hatred for Trump. But they are thinking it.
Just to pick one of your claims. According to the AP:
" . . . there is no agent or officer by the name of Jonathan Willis working for the Secret Service or the Butler police, and no internet records of such an officer could be located."
The Willis claim started on 4Chan, which makes it immediately suspect.
Oh, another claim of yours: a policeman climbed up on the roof, saw the shooter and "climbed down." Multiple sources I read say the officer was hoisted up to the edge of the roof, the shooter pointed his rifle and the officer, and the officer FELL down. Big difference.
Well, the American people, who seriously believe that the 2020 Presidential Election, 9/11, and the lunar landings were faked, and that WWE, space aliens, and the Kardashian sisters (and their you-know-whatties) are real, will accept the most bizarre, convoluted, and complex conspiracy theories about this, no matter what.
Of course, if this was such a brilliant conspiracy, how come the Bloated Yam is still breathing?
Never mind...eventually the conspiracy theories will center on the one, immutable, and inevitable target and whipping boy, that time-honored cause of all ills......THE JOOOOOOOOOOOS.
The skeptical eye is best, and so much here can be explained by incompetence. The one item I'm struggling with is what appears to be a pretty good acoustic analysis that points to multiple shooters. Any thoughts on that?
There are plenty of reeal conspiracies by government agencies. Here is one of them:
Predator Defense - The USDA Wildlife Services' War on Wildlife
Petition targets 'rogue' killings by Wildlife Services - Washington Post
In the late 1970s and early 80s there was a rash of unexplained deaths of cattle in the western United State, many of the carcases strangely mutilated as if by surgery. The more tender internal organs were often missing as if surgically removed, along with exterior tender parts such as eyes, lips, etc. And in some cases, bones were broken, even when there was no place nearby that the animal could have fallen from.
The strangeness of these deaths and mutilations led some UFO buffs to the conclusion that UFOs were involved. Fundamentalist Christians placed the blame on Satanic cults seeking animal parts for sacrifice rituals. And skeptics dismissed the whole thing as only normal predation by wild animals.
An FBI investigation concluded ''no Federal law had been broken''. That caused conspiracy theorists to claim there was some secretive governmental agency involved and the authorities were covering something up.
The conspiracy theorists were right. There WAS a government agency respònsible and there WAS a cover-up. But it was not the Armed Forces, the usual suspect of the conspiracy-minded, this time. The Armed Forces had nothing to do with it. It was a program to deliberately poison wildlife. And now, some 40 years later, that program is still going on.
Petition targets 'rogue' killings by Wildlife Services - Washington Post
What was happening at that time was a test of a new poison that could, among other symptoms, cause muscular convulsions that could break bones. This poison was spread around the landscape indiscriminately over a rather wide area of the West before the agency noticed that cattle were likely to eat it too. When they realized that, of course they said nothing to the public.
The deaths were caused by this poison planted by agents of the Department of Agriculture on behalf of the cattle ranchers themselves. The cattle were killed unintentionally by accidentally eating poison left out to kill predators such as bears, mountain lions, and wolves, that were considered a threat to cattle. The poison used could, in sufficient doses, cause muscle convulsions that could break bones much as a fall from a height would do.
Then, after the cattle were dead, small predators, ferrets, weasels, rats, and other small animals with very sharp, tiny teeth that would leave marks that looked like a scalpel had been at work, animals too lightweight to leave noticeable tracks even in soft ground that would clearly show tracks of a man or large predator, would find the carcass, select the most tender parts, and often, in search of tender internal organs, enter the carcass via the mouth or anus, leaving no trace of an entry.
In some case agents of the Department of Agriculture may have found the carcass and inspected it by helicopter, the exhaust pipe leaving scorch marks on the ground where it landed near the carcass. These marks contributed to the developing myth of UFOs being responsible for the deaths, a myth the agency responsible did nothing to dispell. Instead, they quietly switched to another poison, one less attractive to cattle, and quite sensibly kept their mouths shut.
And the eventual investigation by the FBI found that another Federal agency was responsible for the deaths, so of course no public announcement of that finding was made. Nothing surprising about that. Just business as usual. Federal agencies usually will cover up for each other.
And today, some 40 years later, there are still religious cranks who think Satanic cults looking for body parts to use in rituals did it, and conspiracy theorists who think it was some military research project. And of course there are some who think it was UFOs. Of course.
As always, Michael, you chose to focus on Republicans who are conspiracy theorists while ignoring the Democrats who are conspiracy theorists. Many Democrats claim that the assassination attempt was faked and didn't really happen.
Too many coincidences. At the exact moment complete government incompetence kicks in a 20 year old with bullying and friends issues (perfect subject for an FBI psyop) gets into perfect position to kill a SS protected person. I notice he had no social media history or perhaps he did and it was with FBI agents. We still have not seen all the JFK documents 60+ years later so should we give the benefit of the doubt.
You don’t need everyone involved as we have seen you question the narrative at your own peril. How many doctors questioned Covid or the vax and lost their jobs? IRS whistleblowers against Hunter Biden? FBI whistleblowers like agent Franz? They were no Alex Vindman, a true whistleblower who the media worshiped. Conspiracies are easy pickings for the powers that be. In America you go along to get along
Saying “Conspiracy theory” is a nice way to squelch conversation and debate and to minimize counter narratives.
You’re a brilliant man! You ask good questions about the breakdown of security that are very legitimate and lead to either massive incompetence or to an inside job….both very legitimate “conspiracy theories” that correspond to reality (i.e. truth).
But since you do not believe in God, your credibility will likely go down as we move through this chaotic, subversive political season and beyond. Your interpretation of events seems groundless. Atheism is not based in revelation, which I think limits a persons ability to give a vision for life.
From an atheist perspective, where is your vision for political life grounded? Is an action ever “evil?” Is it right to try to assassinate President Trump or wrong…or Is it just a matter of perspective?
Without revelation people cast off restraint, but blessed are those who keep God’s law. Proverbs 29:18
The current Secret Service methods of protecting potential targets are seriously flawed, assuming only firearms and explosives are a threat. They fail to consider other types of weapons, such as trained falcons with their claws dipped in cyanide trained on a life-sized dummy that looks like the target to home in from a mile high with their telescopic vision on an official on the golf course. A hunting hawk can powerdive at close to 200 mph, far too fast for even the most alert bodyguard to shoot out of the sky.
You make a lot of valid points, but all of them assume that the goal was to assassinate Trump. But what if that hadn't been the goal? You mention that the would-be assassin was a lousy shot. That wouldn't matter if he was never intended to hit Trump. I'm reserving judgement until I get a lot more information. For starters, have they found the bullet that allegedly grazed his ear?
I used to be a Foreign Service officer, and lived overseas in a number of countries where conspiracy theories flourished, particularly about the U.S. and our motives. Our mistakes, in particular, were generally ascribed to some unknown strategic purpose. I would tell people, "Never ascribe to conspiracy something that can be adequately explained by incompetence."
There are many legitimate questions marks and sometimes we just have to admit the naked truth, which is that we don’t know the truth, at least not for the time being.
I bet the shooter used a Jewish space laser to target him
Somehow we’ve gotten away from acknowledging the simple trope that “shit happens.”
There have been a number of conspiracy theories that have been proven right in the past couple of years. To ridicule a possible hypothesis with sneers about conspiracy theories, or comparing it to absurd ideas has become commonplace, a way to dismiss it altogether without examining it.
In regard to the present subject, it has been suggested that the failure to notice and neutralize the would-be assassin was incompetence. I'm sorry, no one, but no one, is that incompetent. Particularly when you take into account that they have been trained. Let's look at the details:
Something stinks about the attempt itself, to wit, the only building with a clear and obvious line of sight to the rally was not manned by the police or secret service.
Two, dozens of civilians saw the shooter climb up the building to the roof with a rifle and pointed him out to the authorities but were ignored (there are several videos on TikTok to that effect).
Three, he was wearing dark clothing against a white roof so he stood out and could be seen from the platforms at the rally.
Four, he fired eight---eight!---shots before any action was taken him out.
Five, a number of Secret Service personnel were pulled from the team to cover an event with Jill Biden (as if there were people who wanted her dead).
Six, it appears that a Secret Service sniper by the name of Jonathan Willis sighted the would-be assassin for three minutes prior to the shooting and asked several times for permission to take him out, but he was denied permission by the head of the Secret Service. He finally disobeyed orders, killing the shooter, thereby saving lives, and was consequently fired. The head of the Secret Service is a diversity hire who often voiced the mantra of DIE (Diversity, Inclusiveness, Equity) and hired short, fat women to guard Trump. She stated the roof where the shooter comfortably positioned himself was slanted, which is why no personnel was stationed there. And now, Mayorkas and his minions are obstructing a Congressional investigation.
Seven, prior to shooting, a local police officer climbed up to the roof with a ladder, saw the would-be shooter, then climbed down again. Nobody wants to say that it was a plot by an Administration staffed by individuals with a blinding, obsessed hatred for Trump. But they are thinking it.
Fat women ?
And short.
Just to pick one of your claims. According to the AP:
" . . . there is no agent or officer by the name of Jonathan Willis working for the Secret Service or the Butler police, and no internet records of such an officer could be located."
The Willis claim started on 4Chan, which makes it immediately suspect.
Oh, another claim of yours: a policeman climbed up on the roof, saw the shooter and "climbed down." Multiple sources I read say the officer was hoisted up to the edge of the roof, the shooter pointed his rifle and the officer, and the officer FELL down. Big difference.
But, hey, believe what you want to believe.
Oh. He was hoisted up instead of climbing up the ladder. Well, that demolishes my whole argument of course.
I would add that 20 yr old with a flat affect but without an online presence is hard to believe.
Well, the American people, who seriously believe that the 2020 Presidential Election, 9/11, and the lunar landings were faked, and that WWE, space aliens, and the Kardashian sisters (and their you-know-whatties) are real, will accept the most bizarre, convoluted, and complex conspiracy theories about this, no matter what.
Of course, if this was such a brilliant conspiracy, how come the Bloated Yam is still breathing?
Never mind...eventually the conspiracy theories will center on the one, immutable, and inevitable target and whipping boy, that time-honored cause of all ills......THE JOOOOOOOOOOOS.
I don't understand the Kardashian comment. Are they animatronic puppets?
They’re a family of rich and attractive sisters who have a reality show called “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
Yes, and you're comparing their existence to denying the lunar landings.
My favorite take on the "lunar landing fakery" is the fact that the technology needed to "fake" the landings DID NOT EXIST in 1969....
Michael you are always a welcome beacon of critical thinking in an increasingly uncritical world. Thank you for this great article
Incompetence.
Michael,
The skeptical eye is best, and so much here can be explained by incompetence. The one item I'm struggling with is what appears to be a pretty good acoustic analysis that points to multiple shooters. Any thoughts on that?
Darrell
https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1814398580154872092?t=Axi_opALs5UlY6XxKsWLpQ&s=19
There are plenty of reeal conspiracies by government agencies. Here is one of them:
Predator Defense - The USDA Wildlife Services' War on Wildlife
Petition targets 'rogue' killings by Wildlife Services - Washington Post
In the late 1970s and early 80s there was a rash of unexplained deaths of cattle in the western United State, many of the carcases strangely mutilated as if by surgery. The more tender internal organs were often missing as if surgically removed, along with exterior tender parts such as eyes, lips, etc. And in some cases, bones were broken, even when there was no place nearby that the animal could have fallen from.
The strangeness of these deaths and mutilations led some UFO buffs to the conclusion that UFOs were involved. Fundamentalist Christians placed the blame on Satanic cults seeking animal parts for sacrifice rituals. And skeptics dismissed the whole thing as only normal predation by wild animals.
An FBI investigation concluded ''no Federal law had been broken''. That caused conspiracy theorists to claim there was some secretive governmental agency involved and the authorities were covering something up.
The conspiracy theorists were right. There WAS a government agency respònsible and there WAS a cover-up. But it was not the Armed Forces, the usual suspect of the conspiracy-minded, this time. The Armed Forces had nothing to do with it. It was a program to deliberately poison wildlife. And now, some 40 years later, that program is still going on.
Petition targets 'rogue' killings by Wildlife Services - Washington Post
What was happening at that time was a test of a new poison that could, among other symptoms, cause muscular convulsions that could break bones. This poison was spread around the landscape indiscriminately over a rather wide area of the West before the agency noticed that cattle were likely to eat it too. When they realized that, of course they said nothing to the public.
The deaths were caused by this poison planted by agents of the Department of Agriculture on behalf of the cattle ranchers themselves. The cattle were killed unintentionally by accidentally eating poison left out to kill predators such as bears, mountain lions, and wolves, that were considered a threat to cattle. The poison used could, in sufficient doses, cause muscle convulsions that could break bones much as a fall from a height would do.
Then, after the cattle were dead, small predators, ferrets, weasels, rats, and other small animals with very sharp, tiny teeth that would leave marks that looked like a scalpel had been at work, animals too lightweight to leave noticeable tracks even in soft ground that would clearly show tracks of a man or large predator, would find the carcass, select the most tender parts, and often, in search of tender internal organs, enter the carcass via the mouth or anus, leaving no trace of an entry.
In some case agents of the Department of Agriculture may have found the carcass and inspected it by helicopter, the exhaust pipe leaving scorch marks on the ground where it landed near the carcass. These marks contributed to the developing myth of UFOs being responsible for the deaths, a myth the agency responsible did nothing to dispell. Instead, they quietly switched to another poison, one less attractive to cattle, and quite sensibly kept their mouths shut.
And the eventual investigation by the FBI found that another Federal agency was responsible for the deaths, so of course no public announcement of that finding was made. Nothing surprising about that. Just business as usual. Federal agencies usually will cover up for each other.
And today, some 40 years later, there are still religious cranks who think Satanic cults looking for body parts to use in rituals did it, and conspiracy theorists who think it was some military research project. And of course there are some who think it was UFOs. Of course.
As always, Michael, you chose to focus on Republicans who are conspiracy theorists while ignoring the Democrats who are conspiracy theorists. Many Democrats claim that the assassination attempt was faked and didn't really happen.
Too many coincidences. At the exact moment complete government incompetence kicks in a 20 year old with bullying and friends issues (perfect subject for an FBI psyop) gets into perfect position to kill a SS protected person. I notice he had no social media history or perhaps he did and it was with FBI agents. We still have not seen all the JFK documents 60+ years later so should we give the benefit of the doubt.
You don’t need everyone involved as we have seen you question the narrative at your own peril. How many doctors questioned Covid or the vax and lost their jobs? IRS whistleblowers against Hunter Biden? FBI whistleblowers like agent Franz? They were no Alex Vindman, a true whistleblower who the media worshiped. Conspiracies are easy pickings for the powers that be. In America you go along to get along
Saying “Conspiracy theory” is a nice way to squelch conversation and debate and to minimize counter narratives.
You’re a brilliant man! You ask good questions about the breakdown of security that are very legitimate and lead to either massive incompetence or to an inside job….both very legitimate “conspiracy theories” that correspond to reality (i.e. truth).
But since you do not believe in God, your credibility will likely go down as we move through this chaotic, subversive political season and beyond. Your interpretation of events seems groundless. Atheism is not based in revelation, which I think limits a persons ability to give a vision for life.
From an atheist perspective, where is your vision for political life grounded? Is an action ever “evil?” Is it right to try to assassinate President Trump or wrong…or Is it just a matter of perspective?
Without revelation people cast off restraint, but blessed are those who keep God’s law. Proverbs 29:18
The current Secret Service methods of protecting potential targets are seriously flawed, assuming only firearms and explosives are a threat. They fail to consider other types of weapons, such as trained falcons with their claws dipped in cyanide trained on a life-sized dummy that looks like the target to home in from a mile high with their telescopic vision on an official on the golf course. A hunting hawk can powerdive at close to 200 mph, far too fast for even the most alert bodyguard to shoot out of the sky.
I think if someone pulled that off, they'd definitely qualify as a supervillain.
You make a lot of valid points, but all of them assume that the goal was to assassinate Trump. But what if that hadn't been the goal? You mention that the would-be assassin was a lousy shot. That wouldn't matter if he was never intended to hit Trump. I'm reserving judgement until I get a lot more information. For starters, have they found the bullet that allegedly grazed his ear?
No but they have seen it on film….as has most of the awake world
This was staged. No doubt. You could say the trump card was played…