Barkun Talks to NBC News About Conspiracy Theories After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Attack

April 27, 2026

NBC

Michael Barkun

Political Science Department

Federal

Media & Journalism

United States

NBC

Michael Barkun

Misinformation and conspiracy theories spread rapidly online in the hours following the incident at the White House Correspondents' dinner, despite verified information from journalists and authorities. Experts and observers across the political spectrum attributed the speed to a broader culture of conspiracism and eroding institutional trust in the U.S.

“I would have been surprised if they hadn’t developed because we’re in a society that is absolutely saturated with conspiracism,” says Michael Barkun, professor of political science.

“We’ve got a situation in which there are increasing numbers of people of very high visibility who proclaim themselves to be conspiracy believers and therefore legitimize it,” he says.

Read more in the NBC News article, “False flag conspiracy theories swirl around White House Correspondents' Dinner attack.”