this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2024
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[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago (7 children)

The only way that would be relevant would be if there was a determination that the shooter was trying to do some kind of ad hoc false flag thing, as opposed to writing his own name into history. Everything we know at this point indicates that the latter is true, and the former is not.

Whether Trump's injury was the result of a fired projectile or a piece of shrapnel, the injury was caused by an assassination attempt.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I think there's essentially no limit to what the shooter's motives could be. What was the Las Vegas shooter's motive? What was the motive at Columbine? There's a million possibilities. Narcissism, delusions, non-specific rage.

Sure, there's one conclusion that seems simplest, which is that he shot at Trump but missed. And if he grazed Trump's ear, that's almost certainly true. But what if it comes out that the FBI finds that the closest shot was over 10 feet away from Trump? If that happens, I think we'd be fools to continue to assume it was an assassination attempt.

The smartest thing anyone could say at this point is "I don't know".

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

except if the shooter was just shooting into the crowd and hit like a railing or something then it wasn't an "assassination attempt" it was a mass shooting.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Frankly, it could be a mass-shooting anyway, simply one that had a high-profile figure as one of the targets. Apparently he had explosives in his car and some sort of remote detonation mechanism, so it was clearly about more than just Trump alone.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

so it was clearly about more than just Trump alone.

Not necessarily. To my knowledge, we don't know where any explosives would have been planted. He was seen wandering around the rally area a few hours before the rally. It's possible at one point he thought he could plant some explosives near Trump's podium or something so he gets taken out in the blast, and maybe abandoned that plan when he walked around and realized it wasn't viable.

IMO, there's nothing indicating he had any intents other than taking out Trump by any means available to him. Anyone else was probably either collateral damage in his mind, or "deserved it" for being Trump supporters in the first place. He may have decided that trying to snipe him from that rooftop was his most viable option, but it looks like he woke up that morning with at least two separate plans on how to go about it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Fair. None of that speculation is inherently any better than the mass shooting speculation though, there's similarly zero indication he had anything personal against Trump. He even had potential dem targets in his search history. There's no sound evidence for anything so far, that I've heard at any rate.

Though I do think it's a little far-fetched that what appears to be an intelligent engineering student is going to think sneaking over and planting explosives is going to be a viable plan. That's a little video gamey.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's a lot video-gamey. Let's be realistic.....the United States Secret Service just got owned by a 20 year old kid camping in one of the windows from Nuketown. The kid looks like he got beat up for his lunch money last week. Whatever plans were gong through his head, the plan he ultimately settled on involved him climbing to the one rooftop that the Secret Service somehow missed and was somehow able to not get caught until he fired off half a dozen or so shots. Everything he did that we know of so far looks like something a newbie would do the first time they played COD.

We'll of course never really know his true motives. Remember that despite all the speculation over political motives, Ronald Reagan's would-be-assassin did it because he was trying to impress a teenage Jodie Foster. For all we know, this kid could have woke up that morning and believed that Trump was Gargamel and it was his responsibility to kill him in order to save Smurf Village. Why he suddenly wanted Trump dead remains a mystery especially since he was supposedly a long-time Trump supporter, but I haven't seen anything to make me believe that his target was anything other than Trump himself, and maybe anyone who was just unlucky enough to be in the way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Again, there is also no evidence he specifically wanted Trump dead and was not simply committing a blaze-of-glory act of terrorism for some misguided chance at fame. Having no evidence does not mean we default to one preferred interpretation.

Regarding the rooftop, from all indications he carefully scouted his method. The drone, the rangefinder, the ladder, etc. The building was local police's responsibility, as well, they actually even had a cop inside that very building. Regardless though, it certainly was embarrassing for the SS anyway, hence the director resigning.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Again, there is also no evidence he specifically wanted Trump dead and was not simply committing a blaze-of-glory act of terrorism for some misguided chance at fame. Having no evidence does not mean we default to one preferred interpretation.

No, but you at least go where what evidence you do have leads you. The kid fired off half a dozen shots, at least one of which came within an inch of killing him. If his plan were a mass shooting, bullets would have been sprayed everywhere. If his plan were to go for some blaze-of-glory shot at fame (or the most convoluted suicide-by-cop of all time) but didn't want to kill Trump, he could have just shot well above everybody's heads.

When you get that close with that many shots, it's more reasonable to assume that Trump was the target and he missed than it would be to assume that Trump wasn't the target because he missed.

Regarding the rooftop, from all indications he carefully scouted his method. The drone, the rangefinder, the ladder, etc. The building was local police’s responsibility, as well, they actually even had a cop inside that very building.

Right. Which is why I think we both can agree the whole situation is video-gamey. The kid came up with an elaborate plan that was 100% reliant on the United States Secret Service somehow forgetting to cover that specific rooftop, and him being able to get all that equipment over there without a single bit of interference. If that isn't the stealth mission of virtually every first person shooter in the past 30 years, I don't know what is.

Regardless though, it certainly was embarrassing for the SS anyway, hence the director resigning.

Oh absolutely. A lone 20 year old kid essentially playing out the plot of Call of Duty made the entire Secret Service look like a laughing stock live and in real time. There should have been a lot more than that director resigning.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Successfully shooting Trump would garner more fame than any of the other things you described. He unquestionably wanted to shoot Trump, I think. After Trump dropped down and got piled on by the SS, though, he seems to have begun shooting other people.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Trump stuck his head up once or twice after the Secret Service piled on. It's possible he was still trying to get Trump, but I will concede that it's also very likely he started firing randomly or at others to cause chaos and cover a potential escape.

I'll give them credit for piling on him though. They are very lucky that he didn't decide to just start shooting into the pile.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It's also relevant because one of Trump's current campaign statements is that he "took a bullet for America" which may be another lie.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

It would certainly neuter that (over)statement, but I honestly wouldn't go as far as to call that one a "lie" without some indication that he knew that it wasn't a bullet he was hit by. I don't think that even a reasonable person wouldn't come to the conclusion that "Shots were fired, at me, now my ear is bleeding all over my face" as "I was hit by a bullet."

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Not really. I'll give you a "for instance". Few people know this story.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Arutyunian.

In this case, although in danger, Trump was being shot at by someone who couldn't shoot.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The grenade failed to detonate. Although original reports indicated that the grenade was not live, it was later revealed that it was. After Arutyunian pulled the pin and threw the grenade, it hit a girl, cushioning its impact. The red handkerchief remained wrapped around the grenade, and it prevented the striker lever from releasing.

No mention of it being "a training grenade [which] could not fire." Source?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

original reports indicated that the grenade was not live

??

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

In case you missed the rest of that very sentence:

... it was later revealed that it was [live].

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

The grenade landed 18.6 metres (61 ft) from the podium

Bush was thrown at by someone who couldn't throw

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Got WAY closer than 60ft though.

I remember watching that and losing my shit.

Of course at the time, it was because I was a teenager and "haha president almost got hit by a shoe"

Now it's funny for different reasons, but still.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)

You know where "close" counts?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Horseshoes, hand grenades, and ~~The Secret~~ nuclear weapons.

Welease The Secwet Weapon!!!!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's been a while since I saw that movie, lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Cheers 👊😎

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

2 first downs is not exactly close.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The truth is still the truth, even if there is no material difference in the implications.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

ad hoc false flag

Dont be in such a rush to rule this out lol. Ad hoc false flag should be Trump's middle names

He's always been a real ad war hoc

[–] [email protected] 101 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

Whether Trump’s injury was the result of a fired projectile or a piece of shrapnel, the injury was caused by an assassination attempt.

We all know what really happened.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (2 children)

You know, it's funny because the moment I saw the picture where you could see a little blood, I thought to myself "did anyone make sure he didn't have a ketchup packet in his pockets?"

And sure enough, I'm never original...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Not a ketchup packet, a razorblade

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

I thought I was the only one whose first thought was that W wasn't surprised on 9/11 when I saw the clip of him being informed. Turns out a LOT of people had that thought. 😂

[–] [email protected] 53 points 5 months ago

A trick he learned back in his WWE guest star days.

(This is meant as a joke, please do not be upset. I mean no disrespect to WWE fans.)