The Wire - July 17, 2024

//The Wire//2300Z July 17, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: DETAILS OF TRUMP SHOOTING BEGIN TO CAST DOUBT ON OFFICIAL NARRATIVE. RUSSIA RESPONDS TO TRUMP SHOOTING. RUMORS CIRCULATE REGARDING XI JINPING’S HEALTH.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Far East: Last night, rumors began to circulate on social media regarding Chinese leader Xi Jinping allegedly suffering a stroke. Details are extremely unconfirmed, however reporting on Chinese media platforms suggests that Jinping suffered a stroke while on stage at the third plenary session of the CCP. Other contradictory claims have been made suggesting that he tripped and fell down a few steps while exiting the stage. Chinese state media hasn’t responded to any of these claims, nor have any solid sources emerged to corroborate this information.

Russia: The Kremlin has responded to Trumps assassination attempt with spokesman Peskov stating “After numerous attempts to remove candidate Trump from the political arena using legal instruments at first, courts, the prosecutor’s office, attempts to politically discredit and compromise the candidate it was obvious to all outside observers that his life was in jeopardy”. AC: Though this line is quite characteristic of Peskov’s personality, the Kremlin stating such details openly, highlights the level of concern within the international community with regards to the domestic strife present within the United States. If the situation at home were not as dire, such a statement by the Kremlin would likely not have been made, nor would it have made sense. The matter-of-fact revelation that this is a ‘new normal’ within American politics may be a subtle dig at the United States, but a factual statement nonetheless. 

-HomeFront-

Pennsylvania: Details surrounding the attempted assassination of President Trump continue to worsen. Additional information released by authorities indicates that various entities at the event had identified the gunman as a threat and/or a suspicious person at least an hour before the shooting, and many minutes before Trump emerged on stage. AC: As more and more details come to light, the debate of “incompetence or malice” is beginning to tip in favor of the latter.

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Analyst Comments: The rumors surrounding the health issues regarding China’s leadership are probably not true as right now many malign actors stand to benefit from circulating false rumors. However, this is worthy of being aware of considering the tumultuous international situation. This is not the first time that claims of health issues have been made with regards to Jinping, claims that have turned out to be false in the past. This history, combined with the significant secrecy surrounding the life of Jinping and the weak sourcing of this information in the first place, means that confirming this incident will be challenging. In any case, Jinping will have to make public appearances soon, so any attempt to cancel appearances may be a stronger indicator of a health incident really occurring.

Analyst: S2A1

//END REPORT//