John, immediately following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, conspiracy theories about Jews, Israel, the Deep State and more erupted. Violent calls for “revenge” and a civil war littered social media.

We want to share information from the ADL Center on Extremism with you so you’re aware of what is bubbling up in the hate-laden corners of the online world. We will update our report as new details emerge, but first, I want to take a moment to emphasize that there is no room in democracy for political violence. Period. What happened this weekend is tragic, taking the life of an attendee of the political rally and injuring several others including the former President. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and everyone should condemn this dangerous attack.

It is both alarming and predictable that extremists seek to blame Jews or Israel, alleging unsubstantiated motives including the selection of a new Presidential candidate or objections to how the U.S. treats Israel and the Middle East. Read this new article to find out more about the baseless theories being spouted online about who or what might have motivated the shooting. Our analysts also provide information about the assailant and his footprints online.

We hope that this ADL report from our experts will give you the news you need to recognize misinformation and disinformation if you encounter it on social media and elsewhere online.

Sincerely,

Oren Segal

VP of ADL Center on Extremism