Tim Robbins criticises conspiracy theories linking Donald Trump shooting to his movie
Actor Tim Robbins has issued a damning response to a series of conspiracy theories that arose over the weekend following the assassination attempt on former President of the United States, Donald Trump, linking the occurrence to one of his 1990s movies.
The 1992 satirical mockumentary film Bob Roberts was written and directed by Robbins, who also stars in the movie as the titular fictional right-wing politician who serves as the candidate for the Republican Party in an upcoming Senate election.
Roberts’ campaign has significant financial backing owing to his previous business success and his career as a conservative folk singer. At one point, Roberts stages a fake assassination attempt that he survives in order to boost support from voters and thus win the election.
Since the assassination attempt of Donald Trump on July 13th, some figures have pointed out the potential link with Robbins’ movie, but the actor and director himself is keen to dismiss the connection, writing on Twitter, “To anyone drawing a parallel between my film Bob Roberts and the attempted assassination of Trump, let’s be clear. What happened yesterday was a real attempt on a presidential candidate’s life. Those that are denying the assassination attempt was real are truly in a deranged mindset.”
Robbins continued, “A human being was shot yesterday. Another killed. They may not be human beings that you agree with politically but for shame folks. Get over your blind hatred of these people. They are fellow Americans. This collective hatred is killing our souls and consuming whatever is left of our humanity.”
At a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was shot in the upper part of his right year while speaking to the audience. The assailant was a 20-year-old Pennsylvanian by the name of Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired several rounds from a rifle, killing an audience member and critically injuring two others.
Robbins’ 1992 film served as the actor’s directorial debut and focused on a character that he had previously played in a short segment from Saturday Night Live. Bob Roberts also saw Jack Black make his first-ever film performance.
President Joe Biden responded to the Trump assassination, noting, “Here in America, everyone must be treated with dignity and respect, and hate must have no safe harbour. Here in America, we need to get out of our silos where we only listen to those with whom we agree, where misinformation is rampant, where foreign actors fan the flames of our division to shape the outcomes consistent with their interests, not ours.”
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