Donald Trump is facing a wave of conspiracy theories claiming the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was “staged” —a narrative that spread rapidly online in the hours after the real-life security scare.
The chaos unfolded Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where an armed man attempted to breach the event before being stopped by Secret Service. Trump was quickly rushed to safety, with footage showing agents surrounding him as shots rang out.
Authorities say the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, had sent a manifesto to family members shortly before the attack. He now faces charges tied to an attempted assassination.
But almost immediately after the incident, social media lit up with speculation. Posts across the political spectrum pushed claims that the shooting was orchestrated—variously suggesting it was meant to distract from political controversies, boost Trump’s standing, or justify ongoing battles over his proposed White House ballroom.
By Sunday, the conspiracy theories had gone mainstream online, with the word “staged” appearing in hundreds of thousands of posts.
Trump was confronted about the claims during an interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O’Donnell, who noted that people on both the left and right were questioning whether the shooting was real.
The president said he hadn’t heard the theories before being asked.
“I think they’re more sick than they are con people,” Trump said, while adding that such conspiracy theories usually take longer to gain traction.
“I haven’t heard that last night didn’t happen… usually they wait about two or three months,” he said.
The interview took a sharper turn when O’Donnell referenced passages from the suspect’s manifesto, which included accusations directed at Trump. The president reacted angrily, interrupting to deny the claims and blasting the media.
“I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody… I’m not a pedophile,” Trump said, calling journalists “horrible people” for bringing up the document.
Trump, who has repeatedly promoted conspiracy theories in the past—from false claims about the 2020 election to dismissing controversies tied to Jeffrey Epstein—now pushing back as similar speculation spirals in response to an incident involving him.
Watch the clip below:
