One-third of Americans think Trump's assassination attempts were staged: Poll
What's the story
A recent NewsGuard/YouGov poll has revealed that a significant number of Americans are skeptical about the legitimacy of assassination attempts on President Donald Trump. The survey, conducted between April 28 and May 4, found that 30% of respondents believe at least one of the three assassination attempts in the past two years was staged. The incidents include an attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and two others in Butler, Pennsylvania, and West Palm Beach, Florida.
Poll findings
Majority of respondents unsure if attacks real or staged
The poll asked respondents if they thought each incident was staged, with a majority either believing it was staged or being unsure. About 45% of respondents believed the attempts were real. The attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner drew the most skepticism, with one in four believing it was staged.
Online influence
Gunman tried to storm dinner where Trump was present
The poll's findings come after a gunman allegedly tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Trump was present. The incident was widely reported and investigated, but misinformation about it spread online. Claims on social media platforms like X received over 90 million views within a week of the event. Sofia Rubinson, a senior editor at NewsGuard, noted that "There's really not a lot of evidence that these social media users are citing or relying on."
Presidential response
Trump dismissed claims that assassination attempts were staged
In an interview with 60 Minutes after the dinner incident, Trump dismissed claims that it was staged. He said, "I think they're more sick than they are con people," referring to those who spread such conspiracy theories. Despite this, skepticism about the assassination attempts remains high among younger Americans and Democrats.
Partisan perspective
Political divide in beliefs about assassination attempts
The poll also found a political divide in beliefs about the assassination attempts. Americans aged 18-29 were most likely to believe all three events were staged. Among Democrats, 21% believed all three incidents were staged, compared to only a small percentage of Republicans who thought so. Rubinson noted that while Republicans are less likely to believe these events are staged, there's been an increase in GOP voters believing the dinner shooting was staged.