The attempted assassination of President Donald Trump has sparked conspiracy theories, with suggestions that it was staged to increase support for construction of a ballroom at the White House. The first assassination attempt against a president in 1835 was by Richard Lawrence, a housepainter who tried to shoot him after the funeral of a member of Congress. Jackson's supporters spread rumors that the assailant had been seen at the home of Jackson-hater Sen. George Poindexter. The other side countered by suggesting that the president staged the assassination attempt to make himself look good. The author suggests that staging such a hoax would require significant cooperation from interested parties, including the president’s security detail, and potentially the other attendees. The article also notes that this rush to conspiracy theories indicates Trump's disfavor in some MAGA circles as well as from the left.