Majorities unsure if attempts on Trump were staged or real : NPR

Key Points:

• A NewsGuard/YouGov poll reveals that 30% of Americans believe at least one of the three assassination attempts on former President Trump over the past two years was staged, reflecting widespread skepticism amid high political violence.
• The poll, conducted from April 28 to May 4 with 1,000 respondents, found that a majority either thought the attempts were staged or were unsure, with about 45% considering each attempt a genuine threat.
• Doubts were most prevalent among younger Americans (ages 18-29) and Democrats, with 21% of Democrats believing all three events were staged, compared to a smaller but growing percentage of Republicans expressing similar views.
• Despite detailed federal investigations and eyewitness accounts confirming the legitimacy of the attempts, misinformation about these events has spread widely on social media, garnering over 90 million views after the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting.
• Experts suggest that distrust in government honesty fuels these conspiracy beliefs, and increasing skepticism among some Republicans may be linked to internal divisions within Trump's political base.