Google Search Results Stir Controversy After Failed Trump Assassination Attempt

Google users looking to find information on the attempted assassination of former President Trump were left scratching their heads when the search results they expected didn’t appear.

Growing Concerns Over Big Tech’s Influence on Elections

Instead of information about the incident, Google’s autocomplete feature suggested events related to other historical assassination attempts, like those on Ronald Reagan and Archduke Ferdinand, as well as the shooting of Bob Marley.

Social media erupted with accusations, some suggesting that Google was deliberately trying to influence the upcoming presidential election. Donald Trump Jr. voiced his frustration on X, stating, “Big Tech is trying to interfere in the election AGAIN to help Kamala Harris. We all know this is intentional election interference from Google. Truly despicable.”

Here’s the former President Trump raising his fist after being targeted in an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A Google spokesperson responded to FOX Business stating that no manual action was taken on the autocomplete predictions. They emphasized that their systems have safeguards against predictions associated with political violence, and these were working as intended during the incident. They reassured users, saying, “We’re working on improvements to ensure our systems are more up to date.”

In response to the controversy, Google commented that the autocomplete feature is designed simply to help users save time and that people can still search for whatever they need manually. They added, “Following this terrible act, people turned to Google to find high-quality information – we connected them with helpful results, and will continue to do so.”

Here’s a view of the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Stephen’s Insight into AI

In his recent appearance on “The Evening Edit,” Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., discussed concerns about artificial intelligence and the potential risks associated with this rapidly evolving technology.

Big Tech has faced similar accusations in the past, with critics claiming that conservative voices are being silenced and that search results unfavorable to Democratic figures are being omitted.