Donald Trump was a reality TV host before he was president, and whatever else he is, he’s a consummate showman. On Saturday, he was shot at a rally. The bullet grazed his ear. A few inches off, and he would be dead. Showing a presence of mind, as he was getting whisked from the stage, he mouthed the word “fight” three times to the crowd while pumping his fist. The audience responded with chants of “USA! USA!”

The pictures of Trump pumping his fist as blood ran down his face became instantly iconic. While only time will tell, many despondent progressives concluded that the election was essentially over.

The attempted assassination of a former president — and the leading candidate in this year’s election — was a shocking act of political violence. Conspiracy theories quickly proliferated in some corners of the internet, since this is America in 2024 and online conspiracy theories rapidly proliferate about any shocking high-profile political event. At one point, “Staged” was trending on Twitter.