Fact Check: Did Barack Obama announce Michelle Obama had surgery?

WASHINGTON, DC: In mid-March, a rumor circulated online claiming that former President Barack Obama announced that his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, had a major surgery.

For example, a post on the Celeb News Today Facebook page made the claim, and included the number zero subbing for the Obamas' "O": But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Barack Obama announced Michelle Obama had surgery

The Facebook post read, "After some time away from the public eye, Barack Obama has shared a heartfelt update about Michelle's health. He confirmed that her recent surgery was a success, though the road to full recovery will require time, patience, and resilience." 

"The hardest part is behind them, but healing is a journey that takes strength and support. Barack's powerful words: 'She's strong — but we can't do this alone', truly reflect the importance of togetherness during this time."

The post included three images, one that allegedly showed Barack Obama comforting Michelle Obama as she recovered in a hospital bed. The rumor further spread on X and other Facebook accounts.

Fact check: False, rumor is fictional

The claim made in the viral social media posts is false, as there is no credible evidence to prove that Barack Obama announced that Michelle Obama had a major surgery.

Searches on engines such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google, and Yahoo, to locate possible evidence from credible sources about the rumor, showed no such results. If the story were true, several reputable news outlets would have covered it. The rumor was fictional. 

The Facebook account used artificial intelligence tools to create inspiring or shocking stories about public figures. 

Creators of such social media posts capitalize on internet users' willingness to believe and share the made-up stories, profiting from advertising revenue on external websites to which the posts link. 

The comments on the Facebook post promised more details about the surgery in the links. A post promoted an advertisement-filled story offering no information about the type of surgery Michelle Obama purportedly underwent, but did label the procedure as a 'significant surgery.' 

However, the text of that article seemed AI-generated. The story ended on an overly emotional, forward-looking tone often found in AI-generated articles. 

Furthermore, the article did not feature any identifying details such as the hospital name, city, date of surgery, surgeon's name, type of surgery, or other information.