A top adviser to Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman suggested in an email to multiple media outlets that the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump may have been “staged,” Semaphore reported Sunday.

Dmitry Mehlhorn sent an email to a group of “sympathetic” journalists at 7:34 pm on Saturday urging them to consider the possibility that the shooting was “staged” on behalf of Trump and Semaphore. reportHoffman is Donated He has donated millions of dollars to Democratic-backed political committees, funded lawsuits against conservatives, I told a joke Regarding the murder of a former president the day before the assassination attempt.

“What seems frightening, alien and absurd in America, but is a very real possibility around the world, is that this 'shooting' was encouraged and staged so that Trump could get the photos and profit from the backlash,” Mellhorn wrote in a letter to reporters, according to Semaphore. “This is a classic Russian tactic, like Putin killing 300 civilians in 1999 and then blaming it on terrorists in an attempt to use the backlash to seize power.” (Related: Liberal media gets initial headline wrong, downplays Trump assassination attempt)

Politico's Melhorn Explained According to Semaphore, he served as Hoffman's “right-hand man” and co-founded a fund called “Investing in US” with major Democratic donors.

“I'm biased, but this is classic Putin theatrics, and it seems even more plausible when you consider the facts,” Mellhorn wrote in an email, as reported by Semaphore. “Look at the actual shots. Look at the staging. See how prepared Trump is for the rally. This spoiled baby soiled his pants as an eagle swoops for food. See how quickly Trump tries to protect himself at the expense of others. Yet in this moment, instincts that have been there all his life are barely activated. And think how often Putin and his cohorts pull this off.”

Mellhorn also criticized journalists for not being more proactive in accepting that the attack was staged, saying “their credibility and the entire system of truth and justice depend on being confident of the answers,” according to Semaphore. Mellhorn acknowledged in the email that it was possible that “in this moment of chaos, a crazed anti-Trump operative decided to assassinate the former president,” according to Semaphore.

Melhorn told the Daily Caller News Foundation he regrets sending the email, said he did so without consulting the team, and apologized to the team.

“I want to publicly and unreservedly apologize for my remarks that distracted from the core fact of last night: that political violence has taken the life of another innocent American,” Mellhorn told DCNF. “We must unite in condemning such violence in all circumstances and without hesitation. Any other topic is merely a distraction. Unfortunately, I only spoke with Mr. Reed after sending that email, and I fully agree with his thoughtful post this morning. I join people across the nation in demanding that no more innocent lives be lost to political violence.”

On the other hand, Hoffman Condemned The assassination attempt on the former president on Sunday at X.

Hoffman's top advisers weren't the only ones to claim the assassination attempt was staged, Semaphore reported. For hours after the attack, the word “staged” trended on X. “I know it's unpleasant to discuss such possibilities, but in this case the odds are so high and the stakes so high that we[k] “That question,” Mellhorn reportedly wrote.

Hoffman did not immediately respond to DCNF's request for comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comment from Mehlhorn.

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