Reid Hoffman’s top political adviser, Dmitri Mehlhorn, has suggested that the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump may have been “staged.” This comes in the wake of Hoffman’s earlier remarks joking about Trump potentially becoming a martyr.
Hoffman, the billionaire founder of LinkedIn with a reported net worth of $2.5 billion, made the comment at a gathering of billionaires in Sun Valley, where he quipped about wishing he had made Trump “an actual martyr.” Following the attack, Hoffman clarified that he meant accountability to the rule of law and expressed sorrow over the incident.
“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. 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.”
He continued: “I know it feels yucky to discuss such a possibility. But in this case, the odds are so high, and the stakes so consequential, we must as[k] the question.”
While the exact amount of Hoffman’s political contributions remains undisclosed, Mehlhorn revealed on a private call that he and Hoffman had personally invested substantial sums — potentially nine figures — to prevent Trump from returning to office. This financial effort appears to be primarily funded by Hoffman himself.
Mehlhorn’s controversial remarks surfaced after being reported by Semafor, prompting him to issue an apology for making the comments without consulting his team or allies.
In an email sent to sympathetic journalists and later shared with Semafor, Mehlhorn raised the possibility that the shooting could have been orchestrated to create sympathy for Trump. He drew parallels to tactics employed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hamas, suggesting that such incidents could be manipulated to gain political advantage. Mehlhorn urged Republicans to call for Trump’s resignation if any of his associates were involved in planning or endorsing the attack.
While acknowledging the possibility of an independent anti-Trump individual carrying out the attack in the current tense political climate, Mehlhorn leaned towards the theory of a staged event. He pointed to the precision of the shot, Trump’s immediate reaction, and historical precedents as reasons for his suspicions.
Despite the sensitive nature of his remarks, Mehlhorn stressed the importance of questioning the authenticity of such events to ensure truth and accountability. He criticized journalists for not raising these questions and emphasized the need for clarity to uphold credibility and justice.
