Conspiracies Emerge Following White House Press Dinner Shooting
Experts note that neither political party is exempt from conspiracy theories during a period marked by deep distrust in government and media.
After an armed individual attempted to enter the ballroom where the President was scheduled to address White House journalists on Saturday, conspiracy theories quickly circulated suggesting the event might have been staged.
This rhetoric has become a familiar pattern across the political spectrum in an era characterized by fractured politics and widespread skepticism toward political institutions, the media, and the president himself.
These conspiracy theories about the White House correspondents dinner gunman surfaced as some of former President Donald Trump’s allies had been publicly discussing, for weeks, a conspiracy alleging that a previous assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally during his 2024 campaign was staged.
Understanding the Rise of Conspiracy Theories
Scott Radnitz, a professor at the University of Washington who specializes in conspiracism as a theory of power, explained that conspiracy theories often arise in response to major political events, including assassination attempts.
He noted that online conspiracies tend to gain traction immediately after such events, when facts remain unclear and algorithms amplify sensational content. Radnitz emphasized that individuals who distrust Trump are likely to view any political development involving him with suspicion.
“The administration does not have the best record of honesty and transparency when it comes to communicating with the public,” Radnitz said. “People who already believe the worst about what Trump is capable of can easily tell a story about the latest event to confirm to their existing views.”
Trump’s swift assertion that the shooting incident underscored the need for enhanced security at the White House ballroom, along with the near-uniform messaging from right-wing commentators, intensified the framing of the event as a conspiracy.
Radnitz pointed out that the presence of most major news organizations inside the event, which reported on the incident, should bolster confidence in the official account.
“But people who have tuned out the ‘legacy media’ will have plenty of alternative accounts to choose from,” he said.
Normalization of Extreme Rhetoric and Political Violence
Clionadh Raleigh, founder of Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a nonprofit tracking global violent events, highlighted that extreme rhetoric often accompanies conspiracies and has become normalized amid rising political violence.
She referenced the early days of the Iran war, where casual mentions of assassinating political leaders were mainstream, thereby lowering the threshold for violence.
“The US is facing a particularly volatile mix: widespread access to firearms, persistent lone-actor threats, and an increasingly hyper-radicalized political culture,” Raleigh said in a statement. “Disorder in the US is decentralized, opportunistic, and difficult to predict. And the risk extends across the political spectrum, to anyone in public office.”
Conspiracies Across the Political Spectrum
Although many immediate conspiracy theories about the White House correspondents’ dinner incident originated from the left, experts emphasize that no political party is immune amid declining trust in government.
A December 2025 survey revealed that a majority of Republicans doubted Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, while approximately half of Democrats questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s 2024 win. However, false election claims on the left have not been promoted by the Democratic Party or its elected officials.
Trump himself has faced a surge of conspiracy theories from some of his most vocal former supporters.
This dissent among prominent MAGA figures coincides with a weakening of Trump’s influence over the movement, as others with financial motives seek prominence post-presidency.
Among the claims circulating on the right are assertions that Trump exhibits traits of the antichrist, suggestions that he should confess to orchestrating the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania—where an attendee was killed—and allegations that Israel is involved in undisclosed activities, possibly linked to the classified "files," and is dragging the US into war with Iran.
Media Figures and Conspiracy Narratives
Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host now running a podcast, expressed regret over voting for Trump and encouraging others to do so. While his break with Trump was motivated by the Iran war, he also recently implied that Trump is waging an attack on the Christian faith, citing an expletive-laden Easter post, an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus, and a feud with the pope.
“Could there be a spiritual component to what we’re watching?” Carlson asked during a podcast episode. “Could this be the antichrist? Well, who knows? At least that’s my conclusion. Who knows?”
Carlson has also propagated the theory that the FBI lied about the Butler shooter, and the notion that the shooting was staged has gained traction in recent weeks, according to Wired.
Comedian and podcaster Tim Dillon, a former Trump supporter, stated this month that the full story about the assassination attempt might not be known.
“Maybe it was staged. Maybe it was faked. I think now is the time to just come out and say we staged the assassination attempt in Butler,” he said.
Political Science Perspectives on Conspiracy Dynamics
Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami who studies conspiracy theories, observed that for years, Trump maintained power by portraying himself as a victim of a deep state, political adversaries, and the media.
“That can only work for so long,” Uscinski said days before Saturday’s assassination attempt. “So eventually, like moths to a flame, these conspiracy-minded people in this coalition are going to turn their ire towards him, and that’s what we’re seeing happening. And it should not be surprising that a coalition built with a bunch of cantankerous personalities at some point can’t get along with each other.”
Uscinski emphasized that the focus should not be on the specific conspiracy theories themselves.
“We shouldn’t be focusing on the conspiracy theories themselves,” Uscinski said. “We have a coalition of conspiracy-minded people, and we should not be shocked that they believe conspiracy theories.”
Radnitz added that individuals motivated by conspiracy theories tend to perceive conspiracy theories everywhere.
“In their worldview, the only explanation for why Trump hasn’t fulfilled his promises is because he’s also now part of the system. He is the system.”
