Social Media Went Wild After Gunshot-Like Sounds Rang out at Donald Trump Rally
"It was a bb gun."
![Mustafa Gatollari - Author](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/Svmb6c7FP/200x200/mustafa-headshot-5-1715200618128.jpg)
Published July 13 2024, 7:26 p.m. ET
![People Are Claiming Trump Staged His Own Shooting](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/480x251/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/640x335/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/768x402/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/1024x536/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/1280x670/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/1440x753/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/1600x837/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DG2nkNBkg/2160x1130/trump-shot-cover-1-1720912153309.jpg 2160w)
The 45th President of the United States Donald Trump was rushed off-stage after sounds like gunshots rang out at his rally in Butler, Penn., In a shocking video shared to the platform, what sounds like gunfire can be heard.
Of course, there are many on social media who are already claiming that the unconfirmed shooting was "staged."
Some X (formerly Twitter) accounts are claiming Trump staged his own assassination attempt.
In a viral video circulating the web of the incident, Trump grabs his right ear and appears to be wincing, and then a secret-service agents can be seen tackling the former president to the ground and covering his body to protect from any further violence.
After the sounds stop, Trump can be seen standing up and fist-pumping toward the crowd. He appears to be mouthing a word that starts with "f" as he repeatedly throws his fist up into the air, surrounded by security who then move to escort him off the stage. The crowd can be heard cheering behind him.
In a thread of responses posted in reply to X user JVT (@jvtentertains), who called Trump a "LEGEND" after surviving what some believe to be an assassination attempt, there were several X users who issued one-word responses casting doubt on the legitimacy of what they just watched in the video.
![replies trump shooting](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/480x252/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/640x335/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/768x402/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/1024x536/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/1280x670/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/1440x754/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/1600x838/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SOg_mopPG/2160x1131/replies-trump-shooting-1720910996897.jpg 2160w)
Numerous replies simply wrote, "Staged." Another person wrote, "Publicity stunt is my guess," while another person responded: "A set up by his own campaign to make him look like some kind of hero and to stir up hate. Everyone knows that guns aren't allowed at Trump rallies."
One user, @noneshall_pass, wrote, "Trump wouldn't have been pumping his fist to the air if that was a real shooting. He's too weak to do something like that and would be scrambling and crying on the ground FFS. It's such an obvious staged event. The supporters behind him didn't even move or get caught by any shots."
Others said Trump just won the election.
There were others who argued that this incident ultimately just made him a martyr and has elevated him in the eyes of voters. Numerous folks tweeted that they were happy to see he was alive and that this type of attack endeared the former president to more and more people.
![trump survived shooting](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/480x252/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/640x335/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/768x402/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/1024x536/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/1280x670/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/1440x754/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/1600x838/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/jWhsIS2wh/2160x1131/trump-survived-shooting-2-1720911352072.jpg 2160w)
There were other folks, like this X user, who expressed that they were upset Trump wasn't murdered at the Pennsylvania rally, and some who were casting doubt on the legitimacy of the incident, as other attendees weren't shot either.
Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan in survived assassination attempts.
Four United States presidents have been assassinated over the course of American history. Roosevelt, upon being shot in the chest and ensuring the bullet didn't enter his lung and harm him, continued on with his speech and ordered no harm to be done to his would-be assassin.
The attempt on Reagan's life occurred after he held a speech and was returning to his limo.
In another speaking engagement, Reagan famously made light of his initial assassination attempt after a balloon in the venue popped. Without skipping a beat, Reagan briefly addressed the moment, quipping, "Missed me," and then continued with his speech.
The secret service says that Trump is "safe" following the incident.