As shots were fired at the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC while Donald Trump was in attendance for the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday, social media started buzzing with claims that it was a 'staged' attempt to assassinate Trump.
Even as the alleged photo of the suspect emerged on social media, with some reports claiming that the suspect was known as Cole Tomas Allen, the claims about it being staged continued.
Karol Markowicz, a NYP columnist, wrote on X: 'The attempted shooter at the White House Correspondent's Dinner is 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California and he is in custody.'
However, as of now officials have not released an update. Meanwhile, there were hundreds of posts on social media where users speculated that the incident at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday was staged.
'If this wasn't staged, the Secret Service should all be fired. They truly suck at keeping shooters away from Trump,' one user wrote.
'The script is predictable: incendiary Truth Social posts followed by a 'Leftist' incident that feels staged from the jump. It's pure WWE tactics,' one user joked.
Trump made two back-to-back Truth Social posts after the shooting. In the first one, he wrote: Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.
In a follow-up post, he added: 'Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. 'I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition.'
