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Donald Trump had to be evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, after a “gunman” “attempted” to breach the security perimeter around the dinner hall at the Washington Hilton. But unlike last year, when the entire GOP responded to the killing of Charlie Kirk by attempting a broad civil-society crackdown, this time Republicans have a somewhat different focus: Helping Trump get his palace ballroom built on White House grounds?

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* Are false flag conspiracy theories coming back into vogue on the left because it’s taboo to point out that Trump makes politics angrier and more violent?

* Is it more that everyone knows Trump’s character is so poor that he would fake an attempt on his life to gain political advantage?

* Are lesser forms of radicalism justified in response to his affronts, or is it all counterproductive?

Then, what the f&ck has any of this got to do with the White House ballroom? Will Republicans bully Democrats into authorizing its construction? Will Republicans bite the bullet and finance the ballroom through budget reconciliation? Can we trust any Democratic presidential candidate who won’t commit to demolishing the ballroom? And what was the White House Correspondents’ Association thinking by extending an invitation to a president who wants to destroy journalism as a vocation?

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Further reading:

* Brian argues politics in America are unusually violent not just because of Trump’s words, but because he governs like a tyrant, and oppression swells the ranks of indivdiuals who choose to take matters into their own hands.

* Matt argues that lowering prices is a better approach to public anger than (e.g.) “microlooting.”

* A Manhattan Institute survey found that 46 percent of Democrats believe “the assassination attempt against Donald Trump in July 2024 was orchestrated by his supporters to increase sympathy for him.”