Fact Check: Did Eric Trump accuse Volodymyr Zelenskyy of interfering in US elections?

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid Ukraine’s criticisms of the diesel deal between the United States and Russia, a claim began circulating on social media platforms that President Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, has accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of interfering in US elections by bombing Russian data centers. The claim has sparked questions, requiring a fact-check.

Claim: Eric Trump accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of election interference

The claim surfaced as a post on Facebook in the form of a Fox News graphic card, according to which Eric Trump said, “How come the media is not crying ‘Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine’? It is Zelenskyy and Ukraine interfering in our elections by bombing the Russian data centers.”

The post has garnered tens of thousands of views as of this writing, and has also spread on other platforms such as X and Threads, with many appearing to believe it to be an authentic statement by the president’s son, while others remained skeptical and questioned its authenticity.

Fact Check: Eric Trump made no such remark

However, the claim is false, as there are no records of Eric making such a statement against Ukraine and its president.

There are no recent statements, official announcements, press conferences, interviews, or social media posts from Eric that support the claim.

If the first son had really accused Ukraine of interfering with the elections, it would not go unreported by prominent news media outlets, given the midterm elections, which are less than a month away.

There is also no evidence of Fox News reporting it, and a search on the outlet’s social media handles includes no such graphic card.

A closer look at the post suggests that the remark was fabricated and intended as satire, as it includes a watermark reading, "Mrs Putin Satire," and Fox News is misspelled as "Fox Mews."

Eric's name is also misspelled as "Erica Turnip Jr," and he is referred to as the "Son of Dotard Turnip."

Trump calls for Zelenskyy's removal

The claim surfaced as Zelenskyy criticized the US-Russia diesel deal, following which Trump called for the Ukrainian leader's replacement, arguing that Zelenskyy had failed to reach a deal to end the war with Russia.

“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does,” Trump said.   

The 80-year-old POTUS went on to say, “Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times, many, many times, and he chooses not to. Very difficult. It’s a war that should have never been started. If I were present, if the election weren’t rigged, I would have been president and that war would have never started.”