Fact Check: Did Eric Trump say 'country is full of economic illiterates' over US-Russia diesel deal?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the backlash against the controversial diesel deal between the United States and Russia, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, slammed the backlash against the deal, stating that the country was full of economic illiterates. The claim triggered speculation, prompting a fact-check.
The alleged remark appeared in a social media post that resembled a Fox News report and claimed that Eric had defended his father over the deal. However, the post contained several signs of fabrication, and there is no credible evidence that Eric made the statement.
Claim: Eric Trump defends US-Russia diesel deal
The claim surfaced as a post on Facebook, in which Eric Trump allegedly defended his father, stating, “My dad can’t help it if we have a country full of economic illiterates. We are a diesel exporter. To do that, we obviously have to import it first. The Russia deal helps us export more.”
The post appeared in the form of a Fox News graphic card, indicating that the news had been reported by the outlet. The post also spread across other platforms, including X and Instagram, collectively garnering tens of thousands of views as of this writing.
While many appeared to believe the claim, a few others remained skeptical and questioned its authenticity.
Fact check: Eric Trump made no such remark
The claim is false, as there are no records of Eric Trump making such a remark defending the president over the US-Russia deal.
There are no official statements, press conferences, recent interviews or social media posts from Eric Trump in which he made the alleged remark.
If he had publicly defended the deal by calling Americans economically illiterate, the statement could have attracted media attention. However, a Google search for the claim yielded no credible news reports confirming that he made the statement.
Moreover, the post includes several signs of fabrication and satire, including a watermark stating 'Mrs Putin Satire.' The purported Fox News graphic also misspells the outlet's name as 'Fox Mews.'
Eric Trump's name in the post is also misspelled as 'Erica Turnip Jr, Son of Dotard Turnip,' further indicating that the graphic is not an authentic news report.
Donald Trump calls for Volodymyr Zelenskyy's replacement
The claim surfaced amid tensions surrounding the diesel deal, which has been criticized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump subsequently called for Zelenskyy's replacement, arguing that the Ukrainian leader had failed to reach a deal to end the war.
“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.
“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,” Trump said.
