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Actress Amanda Seales has baselessly claimed that the assassination attempt against Donald Trump was “staged” — a suggestion that a Trump campaign spokesperson called a “moronic take.”
A 20-year-old shooter opened fire at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday in what authorities are investigating as an assassination attempt against the former president. One spectator died and two others were critically injured, while Trump suffered a wounded ear.
But Seales has questioned the authenticity of the shooting.
“That s*** was more staged than a Tyler Perry production of Madea Runs for President,” the Insecure star said in a now-deleted social media video.
“I lived in Harlem long enough to know gunshots do not sound like making popcorn on the stove,” the actor continued.
“To be frank, ‘small hands’ Trump would not respond by raising his fist in the air triumphantly were an actual attempt made on his life,” Seales said. “This was, I believe, done to try to show his strength counter to Biden’s fragility.”
There is no reason to believe the assassination attempt was staged.
In response to the claims, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Independent that Seales’ claim was “a moronic take from a mentally disturbed individual like that does not deserve a response.”
Multiple shots were fired into the western Pennsylvania venue, prompting the GOP nominee to duck behind his podium. Secret Service agents rushed to the stage, hoisted up the bloody-faced former president, who pumped his fist in the air, and then rushed him offstage to safety.
Social media users have blasted her conspiracy theory.
“Someone ask her about the two people who died,” one user wrote.
Another called her baseless claims “appalling.”
Yet another labeled her as an “absolute” clown, using the clown emoji.
The FBI is investigating the incident.
Authorities killed the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, on the scene.
The spectator who was fatally shot in the tragedy was 50-year-old retired fire chief Corey Comperatore. His family has said that Comperatore dove in front of them at the rally to save them from being struck by a bullet.
Trump has since called the victim’s widow. The former president thanked God for preventing the “unthinkable from happening” with his own life.
The Independent has emailed the Trump campaign and a representative for Seales for comment.
