Fact Check: Did Tucker Carlson say Trump faked his assassination attempt in Butler?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, a rumor has been going viral on social media platforms alleging that Carlson claimed that Trump faked his assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Let us analyze the viral rumor and fact-check whether Carlson actually said it.
Claim: Tucker Carlson said Donald Trump faked his assassination
The viral rumor originated from a Facebook post, which states, “BREAKING. Tucker Carlson, citing Joe Kent, says, "Trump faked his assassination attempt in Butler."
The post has garnered hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of likes as of this writing.
The comment section appears to mock Carlson, accusing him of making false claims, indicating that the users believe the former Fox News host actually made those statements.
Fact Check: False, Tucker Carlson never made the claim
The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence that Carlson remarked. A search on Google for the quote yielded no results or reports by any prominent media outlets, which would have been widely covered given the simmering rift between the two.
Although Carlson did question the FBI's handling of the investigation into the assassination attempt in a post on X, he never said the event was faked.
Moreover, the account that made the claim, ‘Josh Helfgott,’ is not a credible account. Though not explicitly a parody account, the handle has posted similar unverified claims for the sake of engagement.
Donald Trump blasts Tucker Carlson
On April 7, Tuesday, Trump called Tucker's low IQ as he spoke to 'The New York Post.'
Trump’s response, delivered in an interview, was swift and deeply personal, signaling that the disagreement has moved beyond policy into outright hostility.
“Tucker’s a low-IQ person that has absolutely no idea what’s going on,” Trump said. “He calls me all the time; I don’t respond to his calls. I don’t deal with him.”
He then went on to say, “I like dealing with smart people, not fools.”
The comments mark one of Trump’s most direct public breakups with a former ally who once amplified his messaging to a massive audience.
In recent days, Trump has amplified criticism of Carlson, including sharing an article that described Carlson as “deranged” and accused him of promoting fringe viewpoints.
