Trump Assassination Attempt Exposes Security Concerns, Conspiracy Theories and a Democracy In Danger

Federal investigators are charged with uncovering how a 20-year-old man was able to use an automatic rifle from a rooftop just outside of a campaign rally for Donald Trump to open fire, killing one attendee and injuring others, including the former president. The horrific images from the rally flooded social media timelines, followed by conspiracy theories, misinformation and more concerning narratives that demonstrate how trust in politicians and media alike has eroded.

In this episode, host Kai Wright unpacks the violence and the fallout with a panel of expert guests. Joining him are:

Juliette Kayyem, professor of national security at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, CNN senior national security analyst, former United States Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, and author of “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.”David Gilbert, reporter for WIRED who covers disinformation and online extremism.Jacob Ware, research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies domestic and international terrorism and counterterrorism.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.