Democrats have a political violence denial problem

Published May 15, 2026 6:58am ET | Updated May 15, 2026 6:58am ET



People usually associate conspiracy theories with the fringe political Right. The mainstream Left is doing its best to change that narrative. According to a new YouGov poll, 42% of Democrats believe the 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump was staged — despite him being shot in the ear on camera.

That is an astonishing number. If you walk into any liberal dominated area — a college campus, coffee shop, or vegan grocery store, for example — nearly half the people you meet will believe the president faked or orchestrated his own near-murder. And they don’t just believe this about the Butler attempt — 34% of Democrats believe the same thing about the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting, and 26% believe Ryan Routh’s attempted assassination at Trump’s Florida golf club was staged.

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