CNN has refuted claims suggesting it had prior knowledge of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The allegations arose after Elon Musk, during an interview with Joe Rogan, questioned CNN’s decision to broadcast the rally live, noting it was atypical for the network.
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman echoed this sentiment on social media, implying the possibility of a tip-off. On X, he commented saying, “What are the chances @CNN was tipped off to stream the Butler rally? Why isn’t this worthy of an investigation? It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who orders the coverage and why.”
Ackman quickly clarified his stance, stating, “I am not suggesting that someone at @CNN knew about the assassination attempt, but it is in the realm of possibility that CNN was advised that something interesting would take place that motivated them to cover the Butler rally, having apparently not streamed other Trump rallies.”
In response, CNN stated that the live coverage was due to the anticipated announcement of Trump’s vice-presidential pick, dismissing the claims as false. “CNN provided live coverage of President Trump’s Butler, Pa., rally in anticipation of news about his pick for Vice President. Any suggestion contrary to that fact is completely false,” the network stated.
The assassination attempt involved Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old college student, who opened fire during the rally, injuring Trump and others before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents.
