Americans split over Trump assassination attempt in Washington, poll finds
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
Nearly one-third of American voters believe the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump during dinner in Washington was staged. Despite the presence of suspect and official charges, the public continues to doubt the attack, according to the results of a national Fox News poll.
Thirty percent of respondents say shooting was staged. Among them, 13% of voters are absolutely convinced the incident was fabricated.
Only 52% of respondents believe the attack was real. One in five Americans could not decide on an answer at all. These are 18% of people wavering between facts and conspiracy theories. The attack took place on April 25 and became the third assassination attempt against a politician.
Interestingly, nearly half of Democrats, namely 49%, believe shooting was staged. The same opinion is shared by 48% of Kamala Harris supporters.
Meanwhile, about 79% of Republican Party supporters are convinced the assassination attempt was real. Among active MAGA supporters, this figure reaches a record 87%. Only 10% of Trump party members believe the theory about fabrication.
Independent voters were divided almost evenly. 41% consider the event real, while 34% call it staged. One quarter of them remain undecided.
Young people and women doubt the assassination attempt
Voters younger than 35 distrust official versions twice as often as retirees. Among young people, 38% believe the attack was fake. Older generation (65+) trusts facts in 65% of cases.
Skepticism has a gender dimension. Women, more often than men, call the event staged — 35% versus 25%.
Republican Daron Shaw and Democrat Chris Anderson, who conducted research, call the situation alarming. Denial of obvious facts undermines the political process.
"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," Daron Shaw says.
What is known about assassination attempts against Trump
This is not the first threat to Trump's security. In February 2026, an American court sentenced Ryan Routh to life imprisonment after he tried to shoot the president on a golf course in Florida in September 2024.
But the first assassination attempt should be considered a shooting in Pennsylvania. At that time, a bullet wounded Trump in the ear.
