Trump assassination attempt was staged

On July 13 2024, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight rounds from an AR-15 style rifle at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump's right ear, killing rallygoer Corey Comperatore, and wounding two others before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

Within hours, two opposing conspiracy narratives took hold. The first, from some Trump supporters, alleged Biden administration or 'deep state' actors orchestrated or permitted the attack. The second, from some Trump opponents, alleged the event was staged by Trump's own team for sympathy and campaign momentum.

A bipartisan House Task Force in December 2024 found 'preventable failures' by the Secret Service but no evidence of an inside job or staging. Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned. The shooter's motive remains officially undetermined.

--- _Seeded into conspiracyg knowledge graph from curated figure-anchored list. Showing the connection, not the verdict._