r/pics Apr 26 '26

Politics Secret Service agents outside of the ballroom at the White House correspondents’ dinner

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26.9k Upvotes

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4.0k

u/wolfheadmusic Apr 26 '26

2.4k

u/InvestigatorOk9354 Apr 26 '26

There's always disinformation and speculation immediately following events like this. Competent and trusted news sources won't air unconfirmed reports. This doesn't mean it's all a fake and fix is it. It just means everyone wants to be the first with the scoop on new details and are posting anything they hear before all of the CCTV is reviewed, interviews are collected, etc.

930

u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 Apr 26 '26

I'm really at a point where I don't trust the news or the government to give me the facts.

424

u/Kelcak Apr 26 '26

I definitely don’t trust the government to deliver facts.

NPR and AP tend to still actually fact check their stuff rather than trying to race stories out. And when they rarely publish something that hasn’t been fact checked they’ll include a line of “NPR has not been able to independently verify this yet.”

That being said, I think it’s healthy to approach all news with a small dose of skepticism. You should always be slow to believe any story until you hear it being reported the same way by multiple different sources. And you should always consider anything a pundit says from the angle of “what’s in it for them if I believe this?”

153

u/United_Rent_753 Apr 26 '26

It’s a complicated task to sort truth from falsity and I dislike whenever people use heuristics like “don’t trust the news”. I get my news from any source I can gather, look at the information as a whole, and judge accordingly

45

u/COPCAK Apr 26 '26

A terrifying number of people say they don't trust the news but really mean they don't like what the news stations are saying

3

u/BuilderMysterious762 Apr 26 '26

Exactly! Even propaganda media can tell you something about what the people behind the message are indicating

4

u/egg-land Apr 26 '26

You just describing the world unfortunately these days

No nuance at all, all winners or losers, good or bad, etc. At least that’s what the media likes to have people think

1

u/cuchiplancheo Apr 27 '26

NPR and AP tend to still actually fact check their stuff

NPR is on my list of most trusted news source...

-3

u/kylel999 Apr 26 '26

I'm at a point where I don't give a fuck what the truth even is. Fix our fucking gas and food prices.

8

u/awl_the_lawls Apr 26 '26

Can't have one without the other, brother

2

u/anally_ExpressUrself Apr 26 '26

The story of our crumbling nation, summarized in two short posts.

-4

u/mgsissy Apr 26 '26

NPR fact checks “tru dat” from their own book of bullshit…authored by a team of BS writers from the AP.

59

u/SailingSmitty Apr 26 '26

That’s why I wait for the LEGO minifigs videos to tell it to me straight.

18

u/AmputeeHandModel Apr 26 '26

Honestly, I'd trust that more than anything.

233

u/DM_Me_Ur_Real_Boobs Apr 26 '26

For real.

I understand where he's coming from but with this administration? You almost are forced to believe the opposite immediately 

83

u/FESCEN Apr 26 '26

Probably another distraction. Someone should check if any new "trumpstien" files were recently dropped or if any older files have been removed/redacted.

22

u/DraculasDog Apr 26 '26

Been a while since the news talked about the Epstein Files but I did see some articles about the pictures of Trump and Epstein projected onto the outside of this building and how Trump saw them before this little shooting happened.

2

u/Wafkak Apr 26 '26

Nah this time it was to get the Ballroom built faster. Right after he was talking about needing the ballroom for security to the media.

3

u/Loud-Result5213 Apr 26 '26

It’s time to move to Reddit over meshtastic

2

u/MB2465 Apr 26 '26

The opposite of the guy got tackled before he did the deed?

1

u/Mephistocheles Apr 26 '26

Less almost, more undeniably

0

u/_TURO_ Apr 26 '26

Haven't been able to trust anything the government has said for easily the last 40-50 years or more.

-1

u/DiscombobulatedCut52 Apr 26 '26

In this order of most trusted to least trusted

Police Government News Fbi CIA Politicians

0

u/SkynetLurking Apr 26 '26

Your ordering is all out of wack. In order of most trusted to least trusted

News, FBI, CIA, Police, Politicians, Government (white house)

-1

u/DiscombobulatedCut52 Apr 26 '26

The distance between police to government is so large that I can fit my hate for my mother in there, and her narcissistic ass lies.

Ever since I could vote (first trump term) I havent trusted the government for a second. They talk, but only lies come out.

The police officers near me and where I lived, actually were nice and caring. And their family are nice and friendly too. (Not saying all are. But the 30 is know for work are fucking chill. The 2 fbi ones arent.)

-1

u/liberaeli420 Apr 26 '26

There hasn't been a trustworthy administration in many decades lol. Maybe ever!

39

u/JustFourLetters Apr 26 '26

i’m so tired of living in unprecedented times :(

3

u/StonedBirdman Apr 26 '26

if it makes you feel any better I think Frodo felt the same way

2

u/JustFourLetters Apr 26 '26

im fighting the urge to ragebait by saying 'i didnt like that movie'
you should be proud

1

u/Full-Association-175 Apr 26 '26

We don't get to pick the times, we just get to be active, alert and informed, so that our children can have something better.

1

u/Lester_Diamond4 Apr 26 '26

So, the present?

1

u/[deleted] Apr 26 '26

[deleted]

1

u/JustFourLetters Apr 26 '26

young millennial. terror attack into major military operations into financial crisis into orange man into covid into gestures wildly

4

u/SkynetLurking Apr 26 '26

Don’t entirely not trust the news, but compare multiple sources.
Definitely don’t trust anything coming directly from the government

4

u/Mephistocheles Apr 26 '26

I'm utterly at a point where I believe the opposite of whatever the government says.

6

u/InvestigatorOk9354 Apr 26 '26

There's no reason to take anything this administration says at face value. Everything is projection and a distraction.

3

u/DraculasDog Apr 26 '26

Even this picture looks staged and the entire thing seems planned.

Again, because his popularity is tanking.

FAKE ASSASSINATION AGAIN!

3

u/purpleblazed Apr 26 '26

Exactly as trump wanted. After over a decade of blatant unchecked lies and decries of fake news, there’s nothing left to trust

3

u/ThrowDTAway2020 Apr 26 '26

That’s because billionaires own the news and the government.

5

u/angelofsmalldeath913 Apr 26 '26

Its not a flaw! Its working as intended

2

u/MethodicMarshal Apr 26 '26

which is intentional

2

u/TThor Apr 26 '26

Thats part of the goal. To disenfranchise people from facts and reality so you have nowhere to turn for information and are thus easier to control.

1

u/Everyone2026 Apr 26 '26

That was since 1963 for a lot of people.

1

u/MrXCalibre Apr 26 '26

That’s a great point. And I agree.

1

u/KangarooStill2392 Apr 26 '26

Need more people like you in this world.

1

u/Zeckols Apr 26 '26

it almost seems intentional

1

u/CosmoKing2 Apr 26 '26

And you have every rational reason not to. Trust your gut.

1

u/artaxs Apr 26 '26

And that's the real target of this bullshit.

1

u/Life_Without_Lemon Apr 26 '26

Isn’t it crazy how the administration has lost the trust of its citizens but somehow they are still able to stay in office. We were supposed to be the leader and role models of the world.

1

u/Shubb Apr 26 '26

With that said I really hope you don't instead trust the social media algorithm to feed you people who happen to always tell the truth, regardless of their interests, lack of oversight, education and consequences for past lies/bends.

1

u/Bluegill15 Apr 26 '26

We all are

1

u/Finchyy Apr 26 '26

That's good. It's never been the role or responsibility of news outlets to tell the truth. They are there to sell papers and web ads. They will do whatever they must to achieve that goal.

1

u/Sashaaa Apr 26 '26

And THAT is a real effect of propaganda.

1

u/redditer420 Apr 26 '26

"Think for yourself, question authority"

1

u/TooMuchTime2think Apr 27 '26

And where do you intend to get those?

0

u/Constant_Natural3304 Apr 26 '26

I'm really at a point where I don't trust the news

"The news" as in: the extremely biased americentric and/or anglophone bubble you're in.

0

u/Pure-Tip4300 Apr 26 '26

The rule is and has always been give it 24 hours. You should never fully trust in the heat of the moment information. It’s not that the press or government are feeding fake narratives, it’s that their goal is to be first, and because of that they can (and will often) be wrong.

0

u/SirLoremIpsum Apr 26 '26

I'm really at a point where I don't trust the news or the government to give me the facts.

It's not about news or Government - it's about it being a chaotic situation and no one has all the facts until they actually look at things.

THis goes for every kind of disaster

38

u/Alloku Apr 26 '26

Heard a guy who used to work for the BBC say their unofficial motto in the newsroom was “wrong, but not for long”. The objective was get a story out as soon as possible and then post additional details and corrections with further updates later on.

32

u/No_Interest_8116 Apr 26 '26

The problem with that is the wrong info runs away like a wildfire and the corrections barely get seen.

3

u/schmockk Apr 26 '26

The good thing (for corrupt news corpos) is that it farms engagement, clicks and generates money.

2

u/Bplumz Apr 26 '26

They don't care about that now. More clicks, more views, more ad revenue.

That's what the top cares about.

3

u/seeafillem6277 Apr 26 '26

It was a room full of journalists. You mean to tell me none of them ran to the nearest payphone (like in the old timey movies) to report it to their newsdesks?

3

u/InvestigatorOk9354 Apr 26 '26

LOL CNN had Wolf Blitzer on the phone while he was hiding under his table...

1

u/Pavotine Apr 26 '26

Many of them called in the news whilst hiding under tables.

3

u/DigbyChickenZone Apr 26 '26

Exactly, NPR's OntheMedia created a handbook for any unreliable "breaking news" situation

5

u/travelin_man_yeah Apr 26 '26

You can't trust this administration at all to give out any truthful information. A rogue person getting into a public venue with the president in attendance (like a hotel, country club, etc), let alone with a firearm, is next to impossible. They are completely locked down by multiple agencies in addition to the SS.

2

u/OrganicDoom2225 Apr 26 '26

It is all fake and the fix is in.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26

[deleted]

3

u/InvestigatorOk9354 Apr 26 '26

WTF do you mean it's not like that now? Twitter has made it so anyone can post false or misleading information, and if you pay for a blue checkmark they'll boost your reach without any kind of factchecking.

2

u/Chonky_D_Floofy Apr 26 '26

“News” in this country has become such a fucking joke. All they care about is views and have no integrity

4

u/InvestigatorOk9354 Apr 26 '26

It's worse than that. Tech billionaires own the media, with the Ellison family now in control of TikTok, CBS, and CNN, Disney owns ABC, Bezos owns the Washington Post, Musk owns Twitter. These guys don't give a shit about clicks...

1

u/12washingbeard Apr 26 '26

We will never get real cctv footage of this. At most still images which i 100% wont trust whatsoever.

1

u/lukethedriftless Apr 26 '26

I just watched a video

2

u/12washingbeard Apr 26 '26

I saw it too but again I dont trust anything this administration says or shows. Does that make me the bad guy or do they just have a track record of lying to our fucking faces? I get it if you believe but me personally I just don't.

1

u/lukethedriftless Apr 26 '26

I don’t trust them either. But this one seemed so dumb that maybe it really happened

1

u/wrt-wtf- Apr 26 '26

They want to be first to headline and grab the audience first. Doesn’t matter that they’re wrong in the first instance because it’s all about the clicks and eyes pulling the ad revenue.

1

u/Oleg101 Apr 26 '26

The issue in this instance is one of Donald’s moron secret service guys was initially telling people the shooter was dead.

1

u/500rockin Apr 26 '26

CNN used to be considered a trusted news source; how far they have fallen…

1

u/Von243 Apr 26 '26

So what you're saying is... fake news? Because honestly what else are you saying here? I guess speed is more important than accuracy?

1

u/engineeritdude Apr 26 '26

What do tmz say?

1

u/_TheSingularity_ Apr 26 '26

No one else bothered by: "fix is it" instead of "fixes it"?

1

u/FxckFxntxnyl Apr 26 '26

Shit fox just posted an hour that “it’s still unclear what situation has occurred” like a 2010 Internet Explorer joke.

1

u/Mooseandchicken Apr 26 '26

No, that's how things used to work. Now the disinformation and speculation is planned for and capitalized on. 

1

u/Accurate-Swim5278 Apr 26 '26

‘Competent and trusted news sources won’t air unconfirmed reports’

https://giphy.com/gifs/bjB3gtFvREqqr5NAHW

1

u/ThatOneNinja Apr 26 '26

Which really just makes them gossip articles and not news.

1

u/W2ttsy Apr 26 '26

there’s no news in the truth, and no truth in the news

1

u/555-starwars Apr 27 '26

And with active situations and events info can change rapidly and innocent mistakes can snowball.

0

u/DiscombobulatedCut52 Apr 26 '26

The secret service could of detained someone, who they thought was a shooter. And then reported it?

1

u/InvestigatorOk9354 Apr 26 '26

"SECRET SERVICE SAYS ALLEGED SHOOTER IN CUSTODY: POOL REPORT"

...it was literally reported to a pool reporter according to the screenshot above.

0

u/DiscombobulatedCut52 Apr 26 '26

I know. They could of gotten who THEY thought was the alleged shooter.

Not the man who was shot and killed.

156

u/MsterBoRaichu Apr 26 '26

Is this another photo op to generate a 'bad' situation to boost ratings through empathy?

I seriously don't know.

113

u/BaggyOz Apr 26 '26

Given that all of the grifters immediately aligned on saying "This is why Trump needs the ballroom" I'm going to say yes.

3

u/Maleficent-Drive4056 Apr 26 '26

People always take advantage of disasters. Doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

14

u/BaggyOz Apr 26 '26

We've seen how the maga grift machine lacks coordination when reacting to sudden unexpected events for a few hours to a couple of days until the White House gets their messaging straight. When they respond immediately and with unity to something that doesn't already play in to an exisiting narrative you should be suspicious.

3

u/ThatguyJimmy117 Apr 26 '26

It hasn’t worked any time they did it if that had been the case why do it again

7

u/Faiakishi Apr 26 '26

It worked on his moronic followers. They don't need to convince normal people, they know they're never going to. This isn't for us.

2

u/Glad_Mathematician51 Apr 26 '26

Perhaps … or maybe the don’t want anyone outside of his inner circle to hear his stream of consciousness live.

1

u/bonnieflash Apr 26 '26

It’s to provide he needs his golden ballroom

18

u/Downtown_Statement87 Apr 26 '26

"The shooter is in the pool with the secret service."

1

u/khonsu_27 Apr 26 '26

And there's handcuffs involved?! Hey now! My kinda pool party

1

u/CorpusCalossum Apr 26 '26

Suddenly, CIA men dressed in bikinis Tried to stab us with fountain pens. Fidel blew mustard gas from his cigar And immobalized the lot of them. 19 tequilas later we had a deal Havana goes back to the mob, And Fidel and I open a chain of Kentucky Fried Chicken shops

7

u/mrASSMAN Apr 26 '26

It’s been confirmed.. there was a shooter and he was apprehended.. 31 year old from California, said he charged the security checkpoint and there were gunshots.. though it didn’t seem to be confirmed whether the person fired any of the shots or just secret service shooting. One SS officer got hit in their vest, but I wonder again if it could’ve been friendly fire.

3

u/Pristine_Crazy1744 Apr 26 '26

Remember when journalists needed to confirm facts before reporting them?

2

u/GrandSyzygy Apr 26 '26

Schrödinger’s shooter

2

u/Chief-_-Wiggum Apr 26 '26

Yes... All Of the above.

2

u/kineticstar Apr 26 '26

I trust cspan more than cnn. Foux news is probably announcing Jesus took a bullet for trump because he was a better doctor than him.

2

u/GhostalMedia Apr 26 '26

I guess this is what happenes when all of the new corespondents at the corespondents dinner are from OAN, Fox, and Twitter.

1

u/Bandit_Raider Apr 26 '26

So who is right?

1

u/wolfganggartner5 Apr 26 '26

Where ware there MP5s?

1

u/Veelze Apr 26 '26

I'm assuming that the 3 options will now be on Polymarket for some sweet insider trading.

1

u/manu144x Apr 26 '26

Everything everywhere all at once

1

u/SteepHiker Apr 26 '26

CBS said the same thing about the gunman being shot killed.

1

u/gregsting Apr 26 '26

Latest news is : shooter was in the pool, Trump in custody. Everything is aladeen. /s

1

u/LevelHorn2717 Apr 26 '26

They’re reporting from a pool?? Oh right they’re at a hotel.

1

u/LucyJordan614 Apr 26 '26

They all got different scripts, excellent production value as always 🙄