Top Democratic Strategist Sent Email Pushing Journalists To Consider ‘Staged’ Trump Shooting
The top political adviser to Democrat mega-donor and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman encouraged journalists in an email Saturday to raise the possibility that the attempted assassination of President Trump was "staged."
The news site Semafor obtained the following email from Hoffman's consigliere, Dmitri Mehlhorn, sent to reporters after the shooting:
"[One] possibility -- which feels horrific and alien and absurd in America, but is quite common globally -- is that this ‘shooting’ was encouraged and maybe even staged so Trump could get the photos and benefit from the backlash. This is a classic Russian tactic, such as when Putin killed 300 civilians in 1999 and blamed it on terrorists to ride the backlash to winning power. Others who have embraced this tactic of committing raw evil and then benefitting from the backlash include Hamas on October 7. If any Trump officials encouraged or knew of this attack, that is morally horrific, and Republicans of decency must demand that Trump step down as unfit."
While Mehlhorn acknowledged that "some crazy anti-Trumper in this chaotic moment" deciding to try and assassinate the former president is also a "possibility" – his gut tells him the false flag theory is more likely.
"I know I am prone to bias on this, but this is a classic Putin play and given the facts seems more plausible. Look at the actual shot," Mehlhorn continues. "Look at the staging. Look at how ready Trump is to rally; this pampered baby shit his pants when an eagle lunged at his food. Look at how quickly Trump protects himself at the expense of others, but showed few of those lifelong instincts in this moment. And consider how often Putin and his allies run this play."
The adviser concluded by expressing disappointment that journalists had not already considered the storyline of a fake shooting:
"Ask the question, people. If it proves wrong, we should respond appropriately to a non-staged act of political violence, as outlined above. But your credibility and our entire system of truth and justice depends on being certain of the answer."
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn Corp., leaves the stage after speaking during the Bridge Forum in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. The event brings together leaders in finance and technology from Asia and Silicon Valley to connect and share insights. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Dmitri Mehlhorn told Semafor that his comments were "not a public statement." In other words, he doesn't regret sending the email but wishes it would have remained private.
Mehlhorn, by way of Hoffman, is not an insignificant figure within the Democrat Party and media.
He said during a recent private conference call that "Reid and I have invested nine figures of our own money to prevent Trump from getting back into office." There is no group to which corporate journalists are more subservient than elite Democrat donors with whom they hope to chum.
Still, there is nothing wrong with journalists – as Mehlhorn encourages – "asking questions." In fact, that is the purpose of a journalist. And considering all possibilities, no matter the wackiness on the surface, is part of the job.
There is no evidence of a false flag operation. We'd be stunned if that were the case. But a reporter should quietly explore all possibilities, if for no reason then, to definitively rule them out.
Likewise, we should not shame journalists who quietly consider the possibility of an inside job. Journalists have a responsibility not to scoff at conspiracies but to consider and debunk them.
We'd rather the false flag and the inside job theories be debunked than ignored, thus raising further suspicions.
Now, Dmitri Mehlhorn is likely just a bad-faith actor attempting to weaponize his status to establish Trump, as he said in his email, as Putin-esque. But we appreciate him inadvertently encouraging journalists to do their job.
UPDATE: In a statement to OutKick, Mehlhorn wrote:
"Last night, I sent an email I now regret. I drafted and sent it without consulting my team. I have apologized to them directly. I also want to apologize publicly, without reservation, for allowing my words to distract from last night’s central fact: political violence took yet another innocent American life. We must unite in condemnation of such violence in every instance, without reservation. Any other topic is a distraction. Unfortunately I only talked with Reid after I sent that email. I agree entirely with his thoughtful post this morning. I join all America in demanding that we lose no more innocent lives to political violence."