Norwegian media have contributed to more Norwegians believing that the assassination attempts against Trump were staged. Sixty per cent of VG’s readers believe that something does not add up, and the newspapers do not delete death threats against the president. The rhetoric of hatred and the lies from the media know no bounds. Have they completely lost their soul and decency?

Two days after the shooting during the Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., NRK reports that conspiracy theories are flourishing following the assassination attempt against Trump. The state broadcaster’s US correspondent Peter Svaar met Anya Nebel on the streets of the capital to hear what she thought about the shooting.

No fewer than seven journalists worked on the matter. This appears to be a typical NRK division of labour; one journalist deep down the rabbit hole, while the others stand around agreeing on the angle.

Svaar took over the baton from Tove Bjørgaas, who is one of his role models. “She is a legend who has served several periods in Washington, and who truly just kept going and going,” Svaar told NRK when they announced the new appointment.

Legend. Naturally. NRK has a fine tradition of producing both living legends and outright myths. This matter concerning conspiracies and America is one of them.

Anya Nebel is a black woman who clearly dislikes Trump. That suits NRK well. In D.C., it is not difficult to find a Democrat, where only 5 per cent vote Republican. That Anya believes in conspiracy theories is a bonus, and they exploit her for all she is worth.

The state broadcaster also met others in the American capital and asked whether they believed the incident had been staged. Michelle Decastro told them: “I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s Trump. He’s turning the country into a joke.”

But the guy is still alive

Here is NRK’s 30-second conversation with Anya translated into Norwegian. It can be viewed here:

NRK: So what do you think happened to Trump this weekend?
Anya: Fake!
NRK: How so?
Anya: Nobody ran to save him. The Secret Service was just standing there, it didn’t seem urgent. When Reagan was shot, they were all over him. So it’s fake again. He’s just trying to get attention.
NRK: So you think he staged it himself?
Anya: Yes, definitely. For the second time.
NRK: So you are absolutely certain this was not real?
Anya: Yes, that’s correct.
NRK: But the guy is still alive?
Anya: Yes, he is.

“But the guy is still alive?” What on earth is one supposed to say to that? Is this how legends are created at NRK?

A third assassination attempt against Trump could have killed many others, including journalists. Yet NRK chooses to comb the streets of Washington D.C. in order to spread conspiracy theories, and then wonder why “the guy” is still alive.

Myths about paranoid Yankees

The absurd reporting does not stop with Anya and Michelle. NRK has brought in experts who tell untruths about conspiracy thinking in the United States in order to portray Americans as a collection of paranoid ignoramuses wearing tin-foil hats.

According to Associate Professor Ketil Raknes at Kristiania University College, the phenomenon has existed since the United States was founded. The trend truly took off in the 1960s, and social media have merely amplified it.

Raknes believes the United States differs from other democracies in that most Americans have low trust in society’s institutions. Because people do not trust the authorities, they begin creating alternative theories about events that occur. He further tells NRK:

“The United States is characterised by what we may call a paranoid and conspiratorial mindset. For example, most Americans have their own theories about why John F. Kennedy was shot. So the fact that they create their own theories about the assassination attempts against Trump is not especially surprising.

“So this sits very deeply in American culture. It is one point where American culture differs very strongly from European culture.”

This is unfortunately not correct. Raknes turns conspiracy thinking into a uniquely American affliction, whereas research shows something entirely different. But how often do we not hear these prejudices about simple and uncultivated Americans, particularly from the European elite who like to regard themselves as so enlightened and sophisticated.

A major study conducted at the University of Cambridge found that the general level of conspiracy thinking in Europe is approximately the same as in the United States, or only slightly lower. This contradicts the notion that conspiracy theories are an especially American phenomenon, write the authors Annemarie S. Walter and Hugo Drochon:

The overall level of conspiracy thinking in Europe is equal to or slightly lower than the United States, contradicting the notion that conspiracy theories are an especially American phenomenon.

The study used a representative sample of 11,523 respondents from nine countries. A surprising finding was that whether one is American or European has very little significance for how inclined one is to believe in conspiracy theories. Differences between individuals are mainly due to personal characteristics, such as a tendency towards magical thinking, distrust of authorities and distrust of the political system.

Nor is the perception that conspiracy theories are spreading as never before correct. In a major study at Georgia State University involving tens of thousands of respondents from several countries, researchers examined enormous amounts of data from four different studies, some dating back 55 years. They found no systematic evidence that conspiracy thinking has increased over time, either in the United States or Europe, even during the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 election.

We all know that conspiracy theories have accompanied humanity for as long as we have walked the earth, and are part of human nature. To us they are rumours, myths, village gossip and legends. Now these myths have become an effective tool for those who control the public narrative. They use it to portray the right as paranoid, ignorant and dangerous. At the same time, they present themselves as rational, enlightened and morally superior, while diverting attention from their own uncomfortable truths.

NRK surpasses all fiction

Just when we thought the “But the guy is still alive” comment was the pinnacle of the unbelievable within a single report, NRK surpasses itself. The state broadcaster uses the Epstein revelations as a backdrop for American conspiracy thinking, as though the entire scandal concerned only the United States.

But we should not be surprised. It is naturally not the task of media houses to investigate their own crises and dishonour. In spotless and morally superior public Norway, the Norwegian branch of the Epstein scandal has been buried as deeply and quickly as possible, as though it had never existed. Therefore, we instead link it back to Trump and MAGA, where the paedophile network supposedly belongs. Look how disgusting these Americans are, says the echo chamber.

According to Kristin Orgeret at OsloMet, the conspiracy theories surrounding the incident at the Correspondents’ Dinner have a particular background. She tells NRK in full seriousness: “If there is one thing we have seen over the past weeks, it is that reality consistently surpasses all fiction. The Epstein revelations have in a way shown that all the conspiracy theorists were right.”

NRK then repeats the conspiracy theories concerning the assassination attempt against Trump in Pennsylvania in 2024. The same theories that Aftenposten’s Kristoffer Rønneberg and VG’s Astrid Meland had already covered only hours before the dinner in D.C. They pretend they are delivering factual news coverage, while in reality they use misleading headlines and angles in order to plant doubt and manipulate readers.

Orgeret from OsloMet employs the same talking points concerning the divisions within MAGA circles and conspiracies. It is truly remarkable how unanimous they are. Journalists and experts repeat precisely the same formulations, almost word for word. George Orwell would have watched and thought: “Groupthink? You have taken it to an entirely new level.”

Orgeret explains that this type of conspiracy theory forms part of what some researchers call “the war against truth”: “One attempts to influence and manipulate the truth with the aim of making the public uncertain about what we can trust. In the end this creates an audience that begins to doubt everything, where we also doubt what is true.”

She describes exactly what NRK and other Norwegian media are doing. They warn against conspiracy thinking and manipulation of truth, while they themselves actively spread and reinforce it. The result is a Norwegian public in which ever more people believe the assassination attempts were staged, hatred against Trump has become even more intense, and some go so far as to encourage his murder.

Death threats in the comments sections

It is both remarkable and chilling that VG commentator Astrid Meland published her article on the same day as the new assassination attempt, only around six hours before it happened. Kristoffer Rønneberg’s article appeared the previous day. Come to think of it, there actually is quite a lot that does not add up.

NRK reporters are said to have been present at the Correspondents’ Dinner, and shortly after the shooting they wandered around the streets of Washington appearing both confused and disappointed by the outcome. The remainder of the Norwegian media corps appeared strikingly nonchalant regarding the entire incident. Is it possible that they could have…? No, that cannot be. Certainly not.

But sometimes thoughts can truly run away with us. And sometimes the media help us well along the way.

Both the headlines, the introductions and the angles in Meland’s and Rønneberg’s commentaries would lead any conspiracy theorist to believe the story. A readers’ poll in the VG article shows that almost 60 per cent believe something does not add up. VG ought to listen to itself. Stop spreading conspiratorial babble.

Screenshot from VG.

But even more concerning are the comments and shares on social media. VG published Meland’s article on Facebook, but closed the comments section. They knew perfectly well that the topic would generate clicks and engage readers, with many hateful reactions. Nevertheless, they chose to publish it in order to plant the idea that the assassination attempt may have been staged. It worked.

In other articles about Trump where the comments sections remain open, the effect is clearly visible, including in other editor-controlled media. The following comments are taken from a single article concerning Trump’s interview on 60 Minutes. Middle names and surnames have been redacted; I have no interest in exposing Norwegians who have been fed propaganda day in and day out.

Comments from Facebook, VG. 26 April 2026.

This is the kind of malicious hatred flourishing in America under Trump. And we can thank the media to a large extent for having encouraged an extraordinarily filthy and untruthful campaign of vilification against a democratically elected president. But Norway is no better. Here the media are just as bad, if not worse. “Words have consequences”, they constantly tell us. But evidently that does not apply to them.

Threatening the president is a federal offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 250,000 dollars. In Norway, threats against a public official are regulated by Section 155 of the Penal Code, carrying a penalty of fines or imprisonment for up to three years. Nevertheless, VG and others do not delete such comments. After all, it was only “the guy” who unfortunately is still alive.

But what exactly is the motive of the editor-controlled media in placing such enormous focus on conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination attempts against Trump? What news value does this have for the Norwegian people? Other major matters in the United States are entirely ignored. They never report on matters that would place the left and the Democrats in a poor light, even though countless stories exist to be told. This too is a betrayal and a directly malicious means of influencing and manipulating the truth in order to portray the American left as righteous and morally superior. As they themselves believe they are.

One obvious reason is to continue the smear campaign on which they have worked so hard for eleven years now. They are willing to spread and reinforce conspiracy theories they would normally ridicule, solely in order to strengthen the malicious campaign of vilification. The second is to divert attention from their own scandals, extensive corruption, incompetent politicians and the social decay within their own country.

The contempt for America runs deep

Astrid Meland’s condescending tone is in fact quite revealing. It lays bare the deep contempt large sections of the Norwegian left harbour towards conservative America, and the outright hostility towards Trump and the MAGA movement. She portrays them as a sort of fanatical underclass of deeply religious supporters who either interpret Trump’s survival as a sign from God or believe he is the Antichrist.

During the election campaign he sought out Christian circles and toured the manosphere, she explains. By this, Meland reduces almost 80 million Trump voters to a caricature of “red-pilled” bloggers promoting masculinity, misogyny and opposition to feminism. She further writes:

He promised to release documents connected to everything from UFOs to John F. Kennedy and Jeffrey Epstein. With the cost-of-living crisis, the Iran war and what many perceive as blasphemy, Trump has alienated key groups that got him elected: The men of the podcast universe. The conspiracy people. And the super-Christians.

Meland concludes the commentary with a deep stab at Trump, but above all it reveals how little she understands how she herself and the Norwegian media have influenced the Norwegian people and their view of America:

Trump himself is the world’s most famous conspiracy theorist. He has spread so many lies that even MAGA people struggle to trust him. He dipped his fingers into it. Now the monster he fed is beginning to bite him in the tail.

They are doing precisely what they accuse Trump and MAGA of doing. NRK, Aftenposten, VG and the rest of the Norwegian media environment.

Anti-Americanism in Europe is at its highest level ever, including in Norway, largely thanks to the media. For years they have whipped up conspiracy theories about Trump, spread lies and half-truths, and fed a monster of hatred towards Trump and half of America.

Now the monster they fed is beginning to bite them in the tail. Not only in the sense that ordinary people struggle to trust them, but also in the form of Norwegians swallowing the propaganda and going so far as to issue death threats against an American president. But the worst part is that they appear to enjoy their malicious games. And they have no plans to stop.

Therefore, we must bite back. Certainly not with violence, but with the pen and our words. I have sent questions to NRK, VG, Aftenposten and some of the experts quoted. Among other things, I have asked VG what they think about the death threats in the comments sections and why such comments were not deleted. I will return to this if I receive any answers. I also have a message for you.

Dear readers,

After having been away for some time, I have decided to use my real first name, Tove, when writing here going forward. Elisabeth is my middle name, and I was afraid of negative reactions when I began writing for Document, something I now regret. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I am proud to work for Norway’s best newspaper, and I am grateful to all of you readers who have followed me and supported Document throughout the years.

Yours sincerely,

Tove Elisabeth

Ed.: You have been missed!