Issued on: 27/04/2026 - 22:01
Social media has been flooded with conspiracy theories after a gunman's thwarted attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, with both left-wing and right-wing accounts claiming – without evidence – that the attack was "staged". By midday on Sunday, the term "staged" appeared in over 300,000 posts on X, according to social media analytics firm TweetBinder.
Read more‘Staged’: Conspiracy theories spread online after thwarted shooting at White House press gala
Internet users from across the political spectrum claimed that US President Donald Trump had fabricated the shooting to divert from his poor approval ratings or the Iran war, whilst others theorised it was to ramp up support for his controversial White House ballroom plans.
Indeed, Trump referenced the ballroom in a press conference after the incident, saying the incident showed the importance of its construction, as well as mentioning it on Truth Social the next morning. Meanwhile, multiple MAGA allies took to social media to repeat the need for a new ballroom, and online internet users claimed that this quick, coordinated response was evidence of a higher plot.
Certain clips have also gone viral online following the Correspondents' Dinner and added fuel to the fire.
A video of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaking to Fox News before the gala has been viewed millions of times. When asked about Trump's upcoming speech, Leavitt said "there will be shots fired tonight in the room". Online, this fuelled more speculation. "Shots fired" is a common figure of speech referring to making jabs or barbs, but it's an unfortunate coincidence that hasn't aged well.
Another Fox News clip also added to the conspiracy cacophony: a video of the channel's White House Correspondent Aishah Hasnie recounting her experience firsthand from the evening, when her call cut off just as she was about to say what Leavitt's husband had told her about "staying safe tonight". She later clarified online that there was poor signal in the ballroom during her call.
Internet users have also questioned a video of Vice President JD Vance being escorted to safety before Secret Service agents reached Trump, asking why the second-in-command would be secured before the US president. Whilst Vance was whisked away first, there is a likely explanation.
Vedika Bahl goes through the theories – and the clips that added fuel to the fire – in Truth or Fake.
Related keywords
The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.
