An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows a statement from former President Donald Trump congratulating billionaire Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that this statement is genuine. Trump has previously stated he would likely not return to the platform even if he were unbanned.
Fact Check:
The former president was permanently suspended from Twitter following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, resulting in him starting his own social media platform, Truth Social, in October 2021, according to BBC News. Musk, who closed his purchase of Twitter Thursday night, said in the past that Trump should not have been permanently suspended, Bloomberg reported.
The Facebook image claims to show a press release from Trump on Musk’s purchase. The former president also stated that he was told his account would “be back and running on Monday” and that he was happy to “engage with an African-American owned business!”
However, there is no evidence that Trump released this statement. If he had, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. His website, which regularly publishes his statements and press releases, does not show any statements regarding Musk’s purchase of Twitter.
There is also no statement matching the one in the Facebook image on Trump’s Truth Social account. The former president did issue a statement via his platform, stating that he was happy Twitter was now in “sane hands,” but that he loves “TRUTH.”
“I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country,” Trump posted. “Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly. It will be much smaller, but better. I LOVE TRUTH!”
The image spread rapidly on social media Thursday night, with some prominent individuals fell for the fake statement including conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza and MSNBC show Alex Wagner Tonight, according to Business Insider. Check Your Fact could not verify exactly where the image originated from.
Check Your Fact reached out to a Trump spokesperson for comment and will update this article if a response is provided. (RELATED: Is Elon Musk Working With The U.S. Military To Provide Ukraine A New Hypersonic Jet?)
Devin Nunes, a former Republican California Representative and the current CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group, debunked the image on the TRUTH social platform shortly after it surfaced.
“LOL! Left wing desperation for @realDonaldTrump to go back to Titter. #deepfakes #FakeNews,” Nunes posted.
This is not the first time Trump or his family have been the target of misinformation. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that Trump’s son, Barron Trump, was kicked out of school for not paying tuition.