Following news of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the term "staged" trended on US social media. Associated with fringe conspiracy theories, it dominated mainstream discourse. Speculative posts lacking evidence quickly garnered millions of views, akin to historical incidents like JFK's assassination. 

The real-time nature fueled unfounded rumors across political divides, spreading beyond niche groups. Initial questions about security lapses sparked widespread disbelief and misinformation. Posts alleging the incident was staged spread rapidly, bolstered by dramatic images like Evan Vucci's photograph of Trump bloodied against an American flag. Despite later clarifications, millions had already consumed the false narrative.

Conspiracy theories expanded, implicating the CIA, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Mike Pence without evidence. A QAnon post alleging elite involvement gained 4.7 million views. Politicians like Congressman Mike Collins falsely implicated President Joe Biden, gaining over 6 million views before corrections clarified Biden's innocence. Erroneous identifications before the FBI's findings fed baseless narratives. Public figures like Marco Violi had to publicly refute false claims, already seen by millions on social media.