Conspiracy theories surge after WHCA dinner attack
Fox News anchors John Roberts and Gillian Turner delve into the surge of conspiracy theories that followed a dramatic incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night. Justice correspondent David Spunt provides insights on the legal proceedings against Cole Allen, who faces three federal charges, including transporting and firing a firearm. The U.S. Attorney for D.C. has classified the situation as an attempted assassination, igniting discussions about media responsibility and political violence, with some skeptics questioning the event’s legitimacy.
According to an analysis by The Washington Post, online conspiracy theories proliferated after a gunman allegedly tried to assassinate President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The analysis highlighted a significant increase in such theories across the internet.
Cole Allen, aged 31, is currently held in federal custody. He faces charges of attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm across state boundaries, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. Allen allegedly breached a Secret Service checkpoint near the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the dinner was taking place.
Just moments before the alleged attack, President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, First Lady Melania Trump, Second Lady Usha Vance, and members of the Cabinet were settling into the evening’s events.
President Donald Trump shared a photograph on social media showing Cole Thomas Allen being detained by law enforcement after the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026.
The Washington Post’s analysis revealed that approximately one in five posts by “left-wing and liberal influencers and politicians” shortly after the attack suggested it was either staged or a “false flag” operation.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, was perhaps the largest name among the conspiracy theorists, calling the incident “fake.”
Other far-left influencers online made similar suggestions.
President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the White House Brady Briefing Room on April 25, 2026, after the cancellation of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner following a possible shooting. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Morgan J. Freeman, a Hollywood director and producer — not to be confused with actor Morgan Freeman — simply wrote the word “STAGED” in all capital letters 132 times in a single X post Sunday afternoon. The post received 58,000 likes, was shared 9,400 times and was viewed 1.3 million times.
The prevailing sentiment among conspiracy posters is that the alleged assassination attempt would benefit the 47th president politically.
A photo of Cole Allen in a graduation gown and cap from 2025. (Cole Allen/LinkedIn)
“Anyone who thinks President Trump staged his own assassination attempts is a complete moron,” Trump spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital.
Allen was a Democratic activist who attended at least one “No Kings” protest, and once donated $25 to ActBlue, the progressive digital fundraising platform, which was earmarked for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential bid.
A shotgun used by Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting, is displayed before Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and others held a news conference at the Department of Justice on April 27, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc)
He sent communication to a family member before the alleged attack, according to authorities, rationalizing what he acknowledged was a mission that would likely severely harm or kill him.
He allegedly said his motivations were political, and painted himself as a savior of the oppressed. At points, officials said, he also noted that there were certain people he hoped wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire.
Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office.
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