Law enforcement officers responded to reports of shots fired outside former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024. The incident, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation has described as an attempted assassination on Trump, resulted in the suspect being taken into custody. Trump, who is currently the Republican presidential nominee, was unharmed.
As news of the incident spread to China, it dominated discussions on the heavily censored social media platform Weibo. Users noted that Trump had recently survived another attempt on his life at a campaign rally on July 13, prompting a wave of conspiracy theories and commentary on the U.S. political scene.
The viral hashtag “Shooter was 457 meters from Trump” garnered millions of views, with many discussing Trump’s apparent luck and speculating on various conspiracy theories. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that the gunman had come within 300 to 500 yards of Trump.
Weibo quickly exploded with theories questioning the authenticity of the incident and speculating on how it might benefit Trump in the polls. Users also propagated outlandish theories involving religious groups. Amid these discussions, some netizens posited that Trump stood to gain politically from the incident.
Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University’s Department of International Politics, commented on his verified Weibo account that the incident was “definitely not good news for Democrats,” suggesting that any potential gains for Vice President Harris in the presidential debate could be nullified.
Three senior law enforcement officials informed NBC News that the suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was in the custody of the Secret Service, with details about the suspect and his motives still being uncovered.
Many Weibo users cited the incident as evidence of instability and violence in the American political system.
Following the incident, Trump sent a fundraising email reassuring his supporters of his safety. “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” the email stated.
CNBC’s Zenith Wong and Anniek Bao contributed to the story.
