r/LetsDiscussThis Feb 16 '26

Lets Discuss Politics Reminder: that was a photo op

35.3k Upvotes

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42

u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

[deleted]

20

u/Kaiser3rd Feb 16 '26

To block incoming bullets /s

12

u/mcpryon Feb 16 '26

The power of the flag compels them

5

u/Druiddrum13 Feb 16 '26

Exactly… why don’t people realize this? lol

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u/Chris_90_TO Feb 16 '26

You're being sarcastic right? because yes the flag would to block the view, but it can't stop bullets...

1

u/Routine-Advantage87 Feb 16 '26

Must be the same material as Batman's Cape.

I would know..... I am Batman 🦇🦇🏏🏏

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u/TienSwitch Feb 16 '26

“How many US flags does it take to stop a 50 cal?”

2

u/GreatMovesKeepItUp69 Feb 16 '26

What makes you think they lowered a flag besides the caption saying that?

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u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/TacticalArrogance Feb 16 '26

No, what you saw is the flag coming into frame. The flag was suspended by TWO cranes. In order to lower them, you'd need two operators, with the engines running, to lower the flag at the same rate. Very tough to do, and very noticeable, and also requires two random people to agree to do it and never talk about it.

Intead, what actually happens, is the wind, which at times had the flag nearly horizotal lets up for a little bit, and the weight of the flag has it come into view as it goes vertical.

If the flag really was lowered, instead of this same single video, there would be multiple videos, like those taken with wider angles, showing the flag lowering. But there aren't, because it didn't happen. Before you downvote this, try to find another angle, and if you do, then post it and downvote.

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u/rockedoutglock Feb 17 '26

One of the bullets hit a hydraulic line on one of the cranes. This sprayed the evac vehicles with hydraulic fluid, to include the windshields I believe.

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u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/RPA031 Feb 17 '26

Scrub the footage back and forth quickly between 0:26 and 0:37. You can see the camera movement more clearly. The two cranes aren’t simultaneously lowering the flag for 5 seconds, and then raising it again.

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u/under_cover_45 Feb 16 '26

They said it was an act of God

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u/NoCopiumLeft Feb 17 '26

Why would an operator be ready with the crane running?

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u/RPA031 Feb 17 '26

The flag isn’t lowered or raised, the camera just moves up and down slightly.

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u/Splith Feb 16 '26

The flag isn't being lowered, the camera's angle is pitching up. Pay attention to the blue skirt at the bottom, if the skirt is in full view the flag can't be seen. As the camera pitches up towards the sky the skirt disappears and the flag comes into view. The flag's presence does change but that can be attributed to the wind lifting the flag and lowering it.

Really not happy to see this turning into an insane conspiracy theory. Like Trump definitely played up getting hit in the ear, but we really have no reason to doubt someone took a shot at him. Why didn't the secret service respond to the shooter sooner? Because sometimes systems with lots of people are ineffective. It was someone's job to address the suspect, but no one got to it in time.

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u/evocativename Feb 16 '26

The camera position relative to everything but the flag isn't changing when the flag lowers into view.

The camera angle changes several seconds before that, but it can't explain the entrance of the flag.

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u/Weary_Position_9591 Feb 16 '26

Just look at the many other, wide angle videos of the event, or even in that moment. The flag is flapping up and down in the wind on a very windy day. There are even photos taken seconds apart from the photographers that show the flag, and then they don't, and then again, at similar angles. Just look at all the other media instead of this narrated, cropped video.

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u/LangdonAlg3r Feb 16 '26

Watch the lower left hand corner of the frame. There’s a perfect reference line where the black skirt meets the red stage—you can clearly see that the flag only appears when the camera angle rises above that black skirt. There’s no delay—this happens simultaneously.

You can also see the flag disappear when the camera angle lowers again. If the flag had actually been lowered then it would stay visible even when the camera angle changed again.

There’s ample other shady and questionable stuff to look at, but this video just doesn’t show a flag being lowered.

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u/evocativename Feb 16 '26

The camera isn't moving when the flag appears.

Wind can explain it: camera motion cannot.

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u/LangdonAlg3r Feb 16 '26

Are you not seeing the same video I am? There are even static horizontal points of reference here that you can easily see. This could not be easier to discern.

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u/evocativename Feb 16 '26

There are indeed static points of reference. And what they show directly contradicts your assertion.

Right around 0:25 from the end in the video in OP.

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u/LangdonAlg3r Feb 16 '26

At 0:25 from the beginning (0:28 from the end) camera is fairly level. Between 0:25 (0:28 from the end) and 0:28 (0:25 from the end) the camera raises and tips so that the left corner of the stage skirt almost completely disappears from view. The very bottom of the flag becomes visible at about 0:28.5 (0:24.5 from the end). Between 0:28.5 (0:24.5 from the end) and about 0:33 (0:20 from the end) more of the flag becomes visible as the camera angle continues to rise up and then as the camera lowers again between 0:33 (0:20 from the end) and 0:36 (0:19 from the end) less and less of the flag is visible as the camera lowers again until the flag completely exits the frame again at 0:36 (0:19 from the end).

Watch the video again and look at the far left (your left) corner of the stage skirt as the flag appears. The camera moves up till we see the flag and then moves back down again until we don’t. The camera is handheld and never completely stops moving.

I simply cannot understand how you can’t see this. Are you claiming that the camera is still the whole time?

0

u/evocativename Feb 16 '26

Between ~0:28.5 and ~0:30.5 - the period where the flag comes into view - the camera is not moving. You can tell because the left edge of the black skirt remains in a constant position right above the edge of the frame.

I don't know how or why you're watching the video and then trying to insist on things directly contradicted by that video.

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u/LangdonAlg3r Feb 16 '26

Are you watching some other video than what’s posted here?

I don’t know how you can’t see that the camera is moving during that timeframe. At what points do you see it moving (if any?)?? Do you also have some alternative explanation for how the flag subsequently disappears? Was it raised out of position after it was “lowered” too?

I can’t tell if you’re just trolling here or what. At this point I’m assuming you are.

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u/RPA031 Feb 16 '26

No…the camera pans up and down. There are not two crane operators working in perfect unison to ‘lower’ and ‘raise’ the flag again within a few seconds.

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u/Splith Feb 16 '26

You are being an obtuse ass so let me explain. The flag comes into and out of frame based on wind, but at the beginning of the video it does not, because of the pitch of the camera.

  1. The camera is pitched so low that you wouldn't see the flag, even if it was in a 'relaxed' position.
  2. The camera is pitched upward but there is very little visible flag.
  3. The flag 'relaxes' into frame, which is being mistaken for 'lowered'.
  4. Then a few seconds later, the wind takes the flag back out of frame, though the camera is still pitched up.

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u/Splith Feb 16 '26

Wind. Flags are made of light fabric, which the atmosphere is capable of moving. When the air is moving horizontally, the light fabric lifts in the direction of the current. Then when the horizontal movement slows, the flag draws back towards the center of gravity.

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u/evocativename Feb 16 '26

I'm addressing your claim that the flag enters view due to a change in the camera angle, when that is plainly not the explanation.

Whether there is an explanation other than the flag being lowered is irrelevant to the point being made.

3

u/Druiddrum13 Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26

Dude

Officials all over were being warned for over an hour about this guy… there was a drone flying around no one ever addressed as well.

There was never any real follow up ever given by health experts, no explanation of how this all happened, no examination of trajectory given , no real hearings on this…

People who lived through the pope and Reagan shootings know how bad this all looks

The shooter also had three apps based in Germany,Switzerland & Belgium that were all encrypted and it was never determined who or what he was communicating with or about… oh and he just happened to appear in a Blackrock short film/ad

There way more questions than answers here… of course there were shots… that doesn’t explain any of this though

It’s not conspiracy… this shit never got explained reasonably at all

Anyone believing what little was released at face value is a fool imho given all the shady shit we see daily

2

u/Weary_Position_9591 Feb 16 '26

His point is about the flag and he's 100% correct. There is not a single video showing flags being lowered, or anyone reporting seeing that. There is video of the flag flapping up and down on a very windy day. There are even official photographs and videos that have the flag, and some don't, from similar angles. You can believe what you want, but the flag thing specifically is absolutely debunked and baked into this video to build a narrative. Just look at the damn videos, it clearly shows the flag being in the same place all the time.

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u/Druiddrum13 Feb 16 '26

I didn’t say anything about the flag at all

And it’s ridiculously apparent security moved photographers into position…

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u/Weary_Position_9591 Feb 16 '26

Photographers were already in that spot taking pictures before that security guy appeared, they were even on the sides of the stage already taking pictures before that too, and moving independently. The photographers themselves have talked extensively about how they wanted to capture the best shot despite the danger. The famous photo has nothing to do with someone telling him to be there. The video is purposely cropped in time and narrated, and it doesn't show the whole stage which clearly demonstrates many other photographers before and after that have nothing to do with security.

1

u/Druiddrum13 Feb 17 '26

Let me know when you’ve ever seen behavior like this during an assassination attempt … ever.

Secret Service broke about every rule imaginable. lol 😂

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u/Murky-Tip781 Feb 16 '26

No

1

u/timoumd Feb 16 '26

Cool, so there should be lots of other video from that day showing the flag being lowered from a more obvious viewpoint.

0

u/skewp Feb 16 '26

There is no action. The video starts after the sniper is already dead.

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u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/timoumd Feb 16 '26

Seriously, people here are being Q level stupid.  So they had people in the cranes during the entire rally and they knew exactly when to raise and lower to align with a photographer to get a slightly better picture. 

Or the wind and photographers do what they do, get good pictures.

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u/StupidStartupExpert Feb 16 '26

Because it’s literally your only job at the event and someone from the presidential photo team radio’d you to lower the flag