Overview of The Latest Trump Assassination Conspiracies Are INSANE
This Crooked Media segment features a conversation with The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel about the rapid spread of conspiracy theories following an attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The discussion centers on why so many people—across political lines—immediately treated the incident as a staged event, and how conspiracy thinking has become a default way many people process news in the social media era.
Main Takeaways
- The FBI said the suspect, Cole Thomas Allen, was armed, reached a floor above the event, and was charged with attempted assassination and firearms offenses.
- Despite the official facts, false-flag and staged-event theories spread almost instantly online.
- Conspiracy theorizing is no longer confined to the fringes; it has become a mainstream internet language.
- The episode argues that Trump-era politics, pandemic-era distrust, and algorithm-driven media have all helped normalize this style of thinking.
Why the Conspiracy Theories Spread So Fast
Conspiracy thinking has become “normal” online
Warzel says the internet has evolved from a place where journalists traced bizarre claims back to their source into one where people openly speak in conspiracy theories as a common mode of explanation.
Social media rewards extreme claims
- Platforms amplify emotionally charged, outrageous content.
- AI-generated images and manipulated posts make false narratives easier to create and distribute.
- The result is a “Wild West” information environment where truth struggles to catch up.
Trump helped set the tone
Warzel argues that Donald Trump’s politics normalized shamelessness, cynicism, and suspicion:
- He taught supporters that the worst assumptions are often the safest ones.
- His style encouraged people to expect hidden motives and sinister plots.
- Even opposition to Trump often mirrors his conspiratorial framing by “fighting fire with fire.”
The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact
The conversation also connects today’s mistrust to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- People spent more time online and relied on digital spaces for connection and information.
- Changing guidance from public health and government institutions weakened trust.
- Messaging like “trust the experts” often felt too tidy for a chaotic, uncertain reality.
- That fracture in public confidence has never fully healed.
Warzel’s broader point: the pandemic didn’t just disrupt daily life—it permanently damaged the credibility of institutions in the eyes of many Americans.
Can Journalists and Institutions Still Push Back?
The episode is skeptical but not hopeless.
Challenges for journalists
- Fact-checking often feels like shouting into the void.
- Journalists may only reach the small audience already willing to believe them.
- False narratives spread faster than corrections.
Why reporting still matters
Warzel says media still has to try, because if credible institutions stay silent, bad-faith actors fill the vacuum.
What would help most
- Stronger, clearer public messaging from trusted leaders.
- Less ambiguity from institutions during crises.
- A shift away from the current culture of reflexive paranoia and performative outrage.
Notable Insight
“Conspiracy theorizing has become the lingua franca of the internet.”
That line captures the episode’s central argument: conspiracy thinking is no longer an edge-case problem, but a core feature of how many people interpret events online.
Bottom Line
The segment paints a bleak picture of the current information ecosystem: distrust is widespread, social platforms reward chaos, AI accelerates misinformation, and Trump-era politics have made conspiratorial thinking feel normal. Still, the hosts and Warzel suggest the cycle is exhausting people—and that a healthier media environment will require better leadership, better messaging, and more deliberate efforts to rebuild trust.