Viral Conspiracy Theories Emerge About Woman Acting Oddly Behind Trump During Shooting

On July 13, former president Donald Trump was campaigning in Pennsylvania, when he became the target of a horrific assassination attempt. In light of the incident, social media was flooded with conspiracy theories and misinformation. One particular viral video from the rally that caught the attention of netizens, featured an unknown woman acting strange behind Trump when he was shot.

The woman aroused suspicion with her oddly carefree demeanor when, amid gunfire, she sat unbothered, taking out her phone to record instead. As per the Daily Mail, conspiracy theorists widely circulated the idea that the woman was Janeen DiGuiseppi, assistant director of the FBI and that she was commanding the gunmen. Additionally, they claimed that before the perpetrator, Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, the woman gave a nod.

An X user, reasoned, "I was there. People were stunned. They didn't know what was going on and what to do. I hit the ground with my wife and a lot of other people, but I had to tell several others to get down. It was unbelievable and surreal. Just to clarify, I'm a 65-year-old Army veteran and have shot most of my life." Another concerned citizen however pointed out, "Did anyone else catch the quick smile as the first shot rang out? Was that just a glitch? Did I just imagine that? Someone tell me I’m wrong please." Chiming in, a person opined, "She looks in the direction of the snipers. It looks like she’s waiting for it to pop off. She has no shock or reflex to the sound of gunfire. She just tries to blend in with the crowd. And then whips her phone out. Almost as if she’s getting it to send as confirmation."

Another citizen questioned, "FBI. Why was she showing that sign? Why was she so quick to take a pick after Trump was shot? It seems she was expecting the shot." In a similar vein, a tweet read, "The real question is, where's her video? She presumably took it for a reason, and it would be the best vantage point of all the videos we've seen. Where is it?"

However, the FBI refuted the claims. "The allegations circulating on social media about an FBI executive and the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania are categorically false," a federal spokesman said. "To be clear, the person depicted is not her and she did not attend the rally. The men and women of the FBI work tirelessly and selflessly to protect others every day, and false rumors and conspiracy theories targeting these dedicated public servants are reprehensible and irresponsible. They are also dangerous and often lead to threats against them and their families. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable anyone who makes violent threats against them or any of our colleagues in law enforcement." 

BBC misinformation specialist, Shayan Sardarizadeh, also clarified on X, "A new conspiracy theory, currently racking up millions of views, baselessly claims that a female supporter seen behind Trump when he got shot is assistant director of the FBI's insider threat office, Janeen DiGuiseppi, who was helping the shooter. Those are two different women."