Fact Check: Did Katie Couric call Trump's rhetoric 'disgusting' in her viral open letter?
WASHINGTON, DC: A viral version of journalist Katie Couric's article criticizing US President Donald Trump has sparked online debate, claiming she described his rhetoric as "disgusting."
Couric published an article under her own byline on October 27, 2026, criticizing Trump on several issues in her Substack blog. Did Couric really call Trump's rhetoric "disgusting," or have users misrepresented her words? Let's fact-check the claim.
Claim: Katie Couric described Trump's rhetoric as 'disgusting'
In late October, social media users circulated a claim that journalist Katie Couric had written an open letter to US President Donald Trump, describing his rhetoric as "disgusting."
A Facebook user shared several statements allegedly taken from Couric's blog, claiming that she criticized Trump's language and treatment of political opponents.
The post quoted Couric as saying, "Your rhetoric - whether it’s sexualizing supporters or demonizing opponents – is disgusting. For someone who ran on 'draining the swamp,' you’ve created a horror show of insults and trash-talking that feels more fitting for a fourth grader than the president."
The Facebook post also attributed criticism of Trump's treatment of journalists to Couric, quoting her as saying, "Your treatment of the press is despicable, especially how you address women. When you’re asked a question you don’t like, you resort to your tired mantra of 'fake news.' Your banishing of credible journalists from the Pentagon and White House undermines the First Amendment."
The post further claimed that Couric condemned Trump's immigration policies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
According to the viral social media posts, Couric also criticized Trump over several other issues, including the alleged weaponization of the Justice Department, corruption, and tariffs.
The posts further claimed that she questioned his decision to start the war in Iran despite his campaign promise to avoid new wars. They also alleged that Couric criticized Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his approach to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Facebook post attributed another statement to Couric, which read: "Speaking of wars - what’s with the love affair with Putin? Russia invaded Ukraine, yet you repeatedly shift blame onto Ukraine. Experts I speak with say you admire strongmen and want to be one yourself. Your treatment of Zelensky - berating him at the White House, having others suggest he should grovel more - is shameful."
Fact Check: The claim is false
The claims are misleading. Katie Couric did publish a members-only article titled "How Do I Oppose Thee? Let Me Count the Ways" on her Substack blog, in which she strongly criticized Trump.
However, the version circulating on social media does not match her original article.
Social media users made dozens of changes to the article, including adding statements and removing parts of the original text.
For example, Couric never described Trump's rhetoric as "disgusting" in her published article. The viral version also removed links that supported her claims and left out several paragraphs from the original piece.
The Facebook user who shared the altered version of the first post on Wednesday later updated it with a link to Couric's original Substack article.
However, an archived copy of the beginning of Couric's article, captured about eight hours before the Facebook user shared the post, also did not contain the word "disgusting." This suggests that the user changed Couric's original wording before sharing it on social media.
