Pope Francis blames “fake news” for Trump’s assassination attempt in his annual papal address

Pope Francis recently said that “fake news” was the root cause of attempts on President-elect Donald Trump’s life last year.

Catholic News Agency This came in a report on the Pope’s annual speech on “The State of the World,” which he delivered to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See on Thursday. In it, Francis pointed to “fake news” as the root of division and mistrust in society that culminated in Trump being nearly killed on two separate occasions in 2024.

“This phenomenon generates false images of reality and a climate of suspicion that stirs up hatred, undermines people’s sense of security, and threatens civil coexistence and the stability of entire countries. Tragic examples of this include the attacks against the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic and the President-elect of the United States of America.”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico shot several times, in a ‘life-threatening situation’

Trump narrowly escaped murder during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July, when would-be assassin Thomas Crooks shot him with an AR-15 rifle. Crooks’ shot missed Trump’s skull by less than an inch, although it hit him in the ear. Other rounds entered the crowd behind the then-GOP candidate, wounding two and killing rally participant Corey Comperatori.

Trump avoided a second assassination attempt just two months later in Florida, where the US Secret Service intimidated the suspect Ryan Roth Before he could shoot Trump, who was playing golf on his course in Palm Beach County. Authorities caught and arrested the would-be killer after he ditched his AK-47 and fled in a car.

As the Pope reminded his audience, so was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico He was seriously injured When he was shot last May while he was greeting some of his supporters in his country. Local authorities arrested the suspect.

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During the speech, Francis said that this Assassination attempts It is a result of the increasing polarization of societies due to misinformation and media bias.

“We see increasingly polarized societies characterized by a general sense of fear and distrust of others and the future, which is exacerbated by the ongoing creation and spread of ‘fake news,’” Francis declared. The beginning of his political career.

The Pope added that fake news “distorts not only facts, but also perceptions.”

After the attempts on his life, Trump blamed false rhetoric pushed by the left as the reason behind his shooting.

Speaking of the second potential killer, Trump told Fox News Digital Last September, he “believed the speech of Biden and Harris, and acted according to it. Their speech causes me to be shot, while I am the one who will save the country, and they are the one who destroys.” The country from inside and outside.

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In his speech, Francis – who declared that 2025 would be a special year Jubilee year. With the main theme of hope – he called on humanity to repair the divisions in society that led to these assassination attempts.

He added: “My prayerful hope for this New Year is that the Jubilee represents for all, Christians and non-Christians alike, an opportunity to rethink the relationships that bind us to each other, as human beings and as political communities.”