WASHINGTON, July 14 — While Gil Scott Heron famously said in a poem, “The revolution will not be televised,” he probably didn’t expect social media.
How did people on X (formerly Twitter) from all over the world, react to the shooting incident at former US president Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania?
While many reacted in shock, some instead made darkly comic jokes, reflected on past attacks on US presidents (with many making comparisons to the shooting death of Japan’s Shinzo Abe).
Here’s a selection of some of the more interesting or popular reactions:
I just landed and missed an assignation attempt. Holy shit. What a bad ass reaction from Trump. The election is over. He's the next president. The Dems should give up. They can't beat him now. pic.twitter.com/omtbue191d
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 13, 2024
A remarkable photo captured by my former White House Press Corps colleague Doug Mills.Zoom in right above President Trump’s shoulder and you’ll see a bullet flying in the air to the right of President Trump’s head following an attempted assassination. pic.twitter.com/FqmLBCytoW
— Haraz N. Ghanbari (@HarazGhanbari) July 14, 2024
Sigh now this dude Trump bout to start walking around like he Tupac all day now that he got shot and survived. pic.twitter.com/mKGJlPqCIY
— Julito McCullum aka LITO (@IamJulito) July 13, 2024
— Pimty Animal Woke Clown (@pimtyanimal) July 13, 2024
Pulitzer-prize winning photographer @evanvucci running across the podium -- amidst gunfire and screams -- to get the iconic photo everyone is sharing pic.twitter.com/DzJ86TX5lL
— Ronen (@RonenV) July 14, 2024
THIS LADY JUST SITTIG UNBOTHERED PLAYING CANDY CRUSH AT THE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IM--- pic.twitter.com/eNLB8v35Vm
— dawniee~ (@dawnieedreams) July 13, 2024
Woman being interviewed outside of trump rally: “How can this kind of violence and hate be happening in our country?”Anyone with internet access: is this a fuckin joke
— feminist next door (@emrazz) July 14, 2024
Mom can you come pick me up history is happening and I’m scared
— samuel catlin (@lint_ax) July 13, 2024
conspiracy theorist takes the night off pic.twitter.com/eVpPmt3C3H
— Smooth Dunk (@SmoothDunk) July 13, 2024
The reason Trump is still alive is the same reason I drive a Toyota and not a Ford. If you want the job done properly you go for Japanese not American.
— Terracotta Wario (@MildCuthbert) July 14, 2024
All this to distract us from Katy Perry’s new single
— Vinny Thomas (@vinn_ayy) July 14, 2024
he’s lucky it wasn’t aespa cuz they never misspic.twitter.com/bp3dWE4o90 https://t.co/tniNIdFkRS
— (@khiawings) July 13, 2024