{“title”:”Staged? How Conspiracy Theories Harm Democracy”,”content”:”Within minutes of the shooting near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25, the internet had made up its mind: staged. That conclusion ignored basic, emerging facts — the suspect, 31‑year‑old Cole Tomas Allen, was detained on the scene, heavily armed, ran past a magnetometer, fired at least one round, an officer was struck in a bullet‑resistant vest, and investigators found emails and a manifesto expressing anti‑Trump grievances and intent to target officials. Yet a viral hashtag had already settled the affair into a neat narrative: false flag, political theater, or a ploy to justify repression.
Login Sections Search Politics Economics & Finance Business & Entrepreneurship Art & Culture Science & Technology Environment & Climate Change World World Leaders The Americas Europe Middle East & North Africa Africa Asia United States India China Russia About Authors Publications Events Multimedia Videos Podcasts Events Russia Publications Authors About MULTIMEDIA Easter and Passover Explained: