A new Fox News national survey found that nearly one-third of voters believe the recent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was staged, underscoring deep political distrust and growing divisions over basic facts in American public life.
According to the poll, 30% of voters believe the April 25 shooting was fabricated, including 13% who say it was “definitely” staged. A slim majority, 52%, believe the attack was real, while 18% remain unsure.
The alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges filed by the Justice Department. The incident marked the third assassination attempt targeting Trump since the 2024 campaign cycle began.
The poll revealed sharp partisan differences in how Americans interpret the event. Nearly half of Democrats and voters who supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 believe the shooting was staged, at 49% and 48% respectively. By comparison, only 10% of Republicans share that view.
Among Republicans, belief that the attack was real remains overwhelming. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans said the shooting actually occurred, including 77% of Trump voters from 2024 and 87% of self-identified MAGA supporters.
Democrats were far more skeptical. Only 31% said they believe the attack was real.
Independent voters appeared deeply divided and uncertain. Forty-one percent said the incident was real, while 34% called it staged. Another 25% said they were unsure, the highest uncertainty level among any political group surveyed.
The findings point to a broader erosion of trust in institutions and shared information, according to the pollsters behind the survey.
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polling alongside Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, warned that increasing political polarization is making agreement on basic facts more difficult.
“When partisan polarization and political cynicism prevent us from agreeing on a common and obvious set of facts, it undercuts our ability to diagnose problems and develop policy solutions,” Shaw said.
Anderson argued that widespread distrust has become ingrained in American political culture.
“When people are told that every major event could be manipulated or manufactured, disbelief itself becomes the default reaction,” Anderson said.
The skepticism appears especially pronounced among younger Americans. Voters under age 35 were nearly twice as likely as seniors age 65 and older to believe the shooting was fabricated, 38% compared to 20%.
Even within the Republican Party, age created a noticeable divide. Republicans under 45 were significantly more likely than older Republicans to believe the attack was staged, 22% versus just 4%.
The survey also found a gender gap. Women were more likely than men to doubt the authenticity of the shooting, with 35% of women calling it staged compared to 25% of men.
Religious affiliation also influenced responses. More than six in 10 White evangelical Christians said they believe the shooting was real, while roughly two in 10 said they did not.
