Conspiracy theories can be entertaining, but more often than not they are as dangerous as they are ridiculous.
The social media firestorm was on full display over the weekend following the shooting on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
I saw several people, including podcasters and skit-creators, suggesting that the entire event was staged to either discredit the left, or create a new narrative in support of the redevelopment of the East Wing of the White House for a new Presidential Ballroom.
These are the so-called “false flag” theories, and they (frankly) are preposterous. I won’t say laughable, because nothing about this is funny.
A gunman ran past security and exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents in the corridor outside the ballroom where they event was held. One agent was hit, but their life was saved by their bulletproof vest.
I heard similar theories after one of the two assassination attempts on Donald Trump at a public speaking venue during the election campaign. In that incident, a firefighter (and Trump supporter) was killed in the hail of gunfire raining down on the podium.
These weren’t staged events to support a narrative. They were deranged, violent incidents that should be condemned by people across all parts of the political spectrum.
While we decipher the new shooter’s motives, we should rule one out immediately. He is not a government plant or an actor. He’s a suspected terrorist and a potential threat to democracy itself, not a narrative device for a hidden or even an obvious agenda.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
