Multiple theories have surfaced online, questioning whether the incident was the act of a lone gunman or part of a larger, orchestrated plot. Dr. Naomi Wolf, an author, journalist, and political consultant, has theorized that the assassination attempt may have been planned by one of the most high-profile individuals in the country: First Lady Jill Biden. “Does FLOTUS need to be investigated for attempted murder?” Wolf asked in an early morning post to her more than 411,000 followers on X.Days after the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the FBI is examining the shooter’s devices to determine the motive behind the attack.
Does FLOTUS need to be investigated for attempted murder? Following the attack on Trump, there has been scrutiny over Secret Service protocols, particularly whether adequate personnel were deployed to surveil and secure the rally and nearby buildings with line-of-sight to the stage where Trump was speaking. Early reports indicated that the Secret Service diverted resources from Trump’s event to an appearance by Biden. The Secret Service denied these allegations, stating that they had, in fact, "added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail" prior to the attack. In response to Wolf’s provocative question, a social media user noted that Biden’s appearance was a random campaign stop, arguing the Secret Service would not have been able to redirect resources without prior knowledge of the event. Wolf issued a sharp rebuttal, arguing that high-level campaign stops are meticulously planned and vetted:
— Dr Naomi Wolf (@naomirwolf) July 16, 2024
Nothing at that level is "a random stop." I advised two Presidential campaigns. EVERY stop is vetted long in advance, the attendees onstage are vetted, the route is vetted, the [Secret Service] detail is vetted. Why was Jill Biden nearby? Why did her safe, small, indoor event require extra security? Did she communicate with Cheatle re the Trump event? Reports suggest that SHE is the reason Biden is not stepping down. I'd look at her motives in assessing who may have enabled an attempt on her rival's life. Because that is what Pres Trump is: First Lady Biden's rival, not her demented husband’s. Wolf is intimately familiar with the American political landscape. She consulted with President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, and with the Al Gore campaign in the 2000 election. She is not alone in believing Jill Biden is a significant force behind President Joe Biden’s decision to stay in the presidential race, despite calls from within his party to step down. Recent reports have indicated she is actually “running the show” and is determined to maintain her status as First Lady. In a subsequent post, Wolf elaborated:
Folks need to understand a day in the life of the President. Who is meeting with the Chief of Staff? Who oks the events and schedule? Who reviews the donors and guest lists? Who oks the speeches? Who approves the hires? Who meets with the advance team? It is NOT our mentally compromised Pres Biden. It would be Jill. She is running the country day by day. So questions about an assassination attempt should go to her. If not, prove me wrong. Wolf further noted that Biden’s event in Pittsburgh was scheduled at the same time as Trump’s rally, with Biden arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport only an hour before the event. “The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, where Jill Biden spoke at the exact same time as the Trump event on July 13, is a completely closed facility that is relatively easy to secure compared to a massive crowd in an open field,” she wrote. “Why did she need the extra security detail? Who made that decision, to transfer SS staff from Trump's event to hers?” she asked in a final post on the issue, leaving readers with more questions than answers. Wolf reposted responses from social media accounts that supported her theory, further fueling the online debate. “At first I thought this sounded far fetched, but the more I read your thread, the more plausible it seems. We live in such a surreal world at the moment,” one social media user replied. “The excuse that they had to pull security from Trump to cover Jill Biden’s event was calculated to give them plausible deniability that this was indeed a regime attempt to take out their political opponent,” wrote another social media user elevated by Wolf. “They tried to remove him from the ballot, then have him jailed, none of that worked, so….”
