After the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, more than 300,000 posts on X used the term 'staged' within half a day, according to the New York Times. According to NRK Urix, many Americans are skeptical about whether the incident was a genuine assassination attempt, and five false claims have circulated. According to the Associated Press, Trump believes he was the target of the shooting.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Trump expressed surprise at how quickly conspiracy theories spread and dismissed the staged idea as a 'tough sell', calling those promoting it 'sick' or 'con people', according to the program. In a post on X, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene questioned the swift release of the alleged shooter's manifesto. According to the New York Times, unfounded theories suggested the shooting was a distraction from the war in Iran or an attempt to justify Trump's $400 million ballroom project.
Some spread them perhaps because it's fun and entertaining, while others spread them because they believe the content.
According to Infowars, Alex Jones discussed the staged theory with his followers. According to the New York Times, content analyzing Trump's facial expressions and speculation about the shooter's connection to Israel appeared across platforms. The alleged shooter is Cole Tomas Allen, who was apprehended near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, according to the New York Times.
The motive remains unknown, and law enforcement has not released an official conclusion. The investigation is ongoing. According to footage obtained by NBC News, new video shows the scene from the dais moments after shots were fired.
The USA is characterized by what we can call a paranoid and conspiratorial mindset. For example, most Americans have their own theories about why John F. Kennedy was shot. So that they create their own theories about the assassination attempts against Trump is not so surprising.
Professor Kristin Skare Orgeret told NRK Urix that conspiracy theories often appeal to people's emotions. Ketil Raknes, also speaking to NRK Urix, noted that conspiracy theories have existed since the USA was founded and that social media has strengthened the trend. He described the USA as having a paranoid and conspiratorial mindset, citing JFK assassination theories as an example.
Raknes added that the USA differs from other democracies due to low trust in institutions, and that the conspiracy theory trend took off in the 1960s. He also noted that some Americans even believed the 9/11 attacks were staged.
There were quite a few Americans who believed that the terror attack on September 11, 2011 was staged. So this goes very deep in American culture. It is a point where American culture differs very strongly from European.