By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com
A right-wing conspiracy theory that suggests the Florida school shooting last week was an FBI plot to seize more power is gaining in popularity.
The far-fetched suggestions include the assertion that two students who have criticized Republicans for failing to act on gun control were staged by the FBI.
The conspiracy theory gained even more traction after Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., liked two Twitter posts sharing far-right media stories, including one from True Pundit under the headline “BUSTED: Trump-Hating School Shooting Survivor Visited CNN HQ Before the Shooting; Ranted Live on CNN After.”
The crackpot publications have suggested that one of the students, David Hogg, is the son of an FBI agent and wanted to protect his father’s involvement in the plot.
“The kid who has been running his mouth about how Donald Trump and the GOP are teaming to help murder high school kids by upholding the Second Amendment is the son of an FBI agent,” an unnamed author for True Pundit wrote. “David Hogg is a school shooting survivor in Florida. At least that is what the mainstream media has told us. We wouldn’t be surprised by anything involving the FBI at this point.”
As evidence, True Pundit posted a photo claiming to be Hogg at a CNN news desk, wearing a CNN T-shirt one week prior to the shooting.
“But now we learn Hogg was hanging out at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, GA sometime Before the school shooting,” the story reads. “Before the shooting. Posing behind an news anchor desk? Perhaps Hogg’s career dream is to sign on with the network — a young Jake Tapper — as he has portrayed himself since the deadly shooting that claimed 17 students as a ‘student journalist and entrepreneur.'”
Even some government officials are adopting the conspiracy theories.
Benjamin Kelly, an aide to Republican Florida state Rep. Shawn Harrison, told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday that the two teenagers “are not students here but actors that travel to various crisis when they happen.”
Harrison fired Kelly late Tuesday, prompting Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran to announce the termination.
“On behalf of the entire Florida House, I sincerely apologize to the students targeted and again commend them for their courage through this unspeakable tragedy,” Corcoran said.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio responded harshly to the conspiracy theories on Twitter.
“Claiming some of the students on tv after #Parkland are actors is the work of a disgusting group of idiots with no sense of decency,” he tweeted.
Hogg thanked Rubio for the tweet.
Other Stories of Interest
- FBI: Man Stole Ancient Terra-Cotta Warrior’s Thumb in Philadelphia
- FBI Wants ‘the Italians’ Returned to U.S. to Face Deadly RICO Opiate Conspiracy Charges
- Former FBI Assistant Director on What Went Wrong with Tip about Florida Shooter
- The Hill: What is FBI Hiding to Protect Comey?
- White Press Secretary: Trump Didn’t Suggest School Shooting Happened Because of Special Counsel Probe
