MOVIE NEWS – A striking resemblance between an old film and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories, with the most outlandish claiming the attack was staged. Tim Robbins, the director and star of the 1992 mockumentary Bob Roberts, vehemently rejects the comparison between his film and the shooting incident involving Trump, while calling for an end to political hatred.

Last Saturday’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump has not only sparked widespread condemnation but also fueled a plethora of conspiracy theories. The tragic event in Pennsylvania – where Trump was injured and an audience member, Corey Comparatore, was killed – marks the first time in decades that such a high-profile political figure in the U.S. has faced a shooting. The last incident was the attempt on Ronald Reagan’s life early in his presidency.

Back then, the assailant was an obsessive fan of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro’s neo-noir film, Taxi Driver. Now, some are drawing parallels to Tim Robbins’ directorial debut, the 1992 mockumentary Bob Roberts, suggesting it inspired the attack on Trump – a notion Robbins vehemently rejects.

Tim Robbins Responds to Wild Conspiracies Linking His Film to Trump Shooting

The comparison between Bob Roberts and the recent assassination attempt insinuates that the attack on the Republican presidential candidate was staged to gain a political advantage. In the 1992 satire, Robbins himself stars as the titular character, a right-wing folk singer-politician vying for a Senate seat. Bob Roberts is a devout Republican, followed by a journalist (played by a young Giancarlo Esposito) determined to expose his corrupt dealings. When Roberts falls behind his Democratic opponent in the polls, he becomes the target of an assassination attempt during a campaign event – coincidentally, also in Pennsylvania.

Initially, suspicion falls on Esposito’s journalist character, who clears his name, but the incident boosts Roberts’ popularity, leading to his eventual election victory. Later, it becomes apparent to the journalist that the shooting was a sham, orchestrated to garner sympathetic votes. Robbins, later an Oscar-winner for Mystic River, expanded an earlier SNL sketch into this full-length mockumentary. The film also featured Alan Rickman, Ray Wise, Susan Sarandon, and Jack Black in his first movie role, who recently had to address a bandmate’s controversial joke about the Trump incident.

Jack Black is unrelated to the conspiracy theories, which have spread online independently. In response, Robbins took to Twitter to remind those drawing comparisons between his film and the Trump shooting that the recent attempt was a genuine threat to a former president’s life.

“Those who deny the reality of the assassination attempt are truly disturbed. A man was shot. Another was killed. Disagree politically, but this is a disgrace. Stop the blind hatred. These are our fellow Americans. This collective hatred is killing our soul and consuming what’s left of our humanity,” stated Robbins. Known for his independent political stance, Robbins supported a Green Party candidate in 2000, later backed Democratic politicians, and publicly criticized Hillary Clinton in 2016, endorsing Bernie Sanders from the Democratic Socialist wing.

Source: Slashfilm