A flood of misinformation, conspiracy theories and false claims about the shooting at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents' Association dinner spread online at a notable and concerningly speedy rate, mostly about the baseless theory that the incident had been staged.
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The speculation on social media began to swirl within minutes of the first reports of shots fired, picking up steam throughout Sunday despite journalists — the vast majority of the gala’s attendees — and authorities quickly releasing verified and evidence-backed information about the suspected shooter.
There is no evidence that Saturday night’s incident was staged. Authorities have released ample evidence that Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, rushed the event while armed and was stopped by law enforcement. A senior administration official said Allen’s brother told authorities that Cole Allen had sent him and other family members writings displaying anti-Trump sentiment prior to incident.
Even the president, long known for distributing conspiracy theories online, took note of the speed.
“Usually it takes a little bit longer,” President Trump said in an interview with CBS's “60 Minutes” on Sunday. “Usually they wait about two or three months to start saying that.”
This time, it was less than two or three hours. The response highlights how conspiracy theories and a knee-jerk skepticism of...
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