Karoline Leavitt’s eerie remark fuels conspiracy theory over ‘staged’ shooting at White House correspondents' dinner

Comments made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have inadvertently fuelled conspiracy theories following the attempted shooting at the White House Association Correspondents’ Dinner.

On Saturday (25 April), US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were visibly removed from an events space at the Washington Hilton hotel after a gunman opened fire after rushing a security checkpoint.

The suspect, identified as Californian teacher Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives with administration officials as his target, Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Trump, 79, has denied claims that he ‘fell over’ as Secret Service members tried to remove him from the area, telling an American broadcaster that officers ‘pretty much’ told him to ‘crawl out’ of the room.

Following the abandonment of the Correspondents’ Dinner, the politician took to social media to claim the incident would never have happened if ‘a military-secured ballroom’ had been built on the grounds of the White House.

“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” he alleged via Truth Social.

"This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!"

Trump’s ballroom comments have sparked a conspiracy theory that the shooting was ‘staged’, with critics claiming his post delivered a ‘marketing plan in record time’.

Tyla has previously contacted the White House for comment.

Now, a recently resurfaced interview that Leavitt, 28, completed before the White House Association Correspondents’ Dinner has fuelled the theories further.

Upon arriving at the lavish ceremony, the Republican spoke to Fox News host Jimmy Failla about what Trump would say in his address.

The fact-checkers wrote that she said the speech would be ‘funny and entertaining’ before claiming: “There will be some shots fired tonight in the room.

“So everyone should tune in. It's going to be really great. I'm looking forward to hearing it.”

‘Shots fired’ is an idiomatic slang phrase usually used to acknowledge that someone has said something polarising, truthful, or argumentative.

Snopes stated that Leavitt did say the phrase, however: “There was no evidence that Leavitt's comment referenced the shooting before it happened.”

Social media users aren’t as convinced, with one X critic typing: “Shots fired alright. Another staged event.”

“That was some strong foreshadowing,” remarked another.

A third commented: “No, but that’s really odd. I never heard them say anything like ‘shots fired’ until now they never said anything like that before.”

Tyla has contacted the White House for comment.

Trump has confirmed that the cancelled dinner and awards ceremony would be rescheduled for another time within the next 30 days.

He added that the annual event would be ‘bigger and better and even nicer’ than ever.