Fact Check: Did Kim Jong Un warn Donald Trump against banning news media?
WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming that North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un warned Trump against banning the media, citing press freedom. The claim drew mockery and speculation from netizens, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Kim Jong Un warned Donald Trump against media ban
According to a viral post on Facebook, Kim Jong Un warned that Trump's media ban will have a chilling effect on the free press.
The post has garnered tens of thousands of views as of this writing and has also spread on Instagram and X, drawing mixed reactions from online users.
While many appeared to mock the claim, others accused the North Korean leader of hypocrisy, citing the state of the press in his own country, suggesting they believed the claim to be true.
Meanwhile, a few others remained skeptical and questioned whether the dictator really made such a remark.
Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account
However, the claim is false, as there are no records of the North Korean dictator warning Trump against banning news media. No publicly available statements, press releases, or transcripts from Kim Jong Un support the viral claim.
Moreover, access to North Korean state media is limited because of the country's restricted internet access and frequent cyber-related issues. Hence, KCNAWatch, an open-source archive of North Korean media operated by South Korea-based NK News, was used to verify the claim, but no such reports exist.
If the claim were true, prominent news outlets in the US would cover it widely, making headlines. A Google search for the claim also yielded no credible reports.
Additionally, the post originated from a popular online satirical newspaper called ‘The Botowitz Report.’
Donald Trump bans CNN, Politico, and MS NOW
The claim is a satirical take on Trump's announcement on Friday that reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW would no longer have access to the White House, accusing them of “Fake News” coverage, and warning that other outlets could face similar treatment.
Taking to his Truth Social account, Trump wrote, “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW … and Politico … from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
“Because they’re fake news. You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. When you look at CNN, it’s just fake. That’s why their ratings are no good. When you look at MS NOW…, it’s fake news,” Trump told reporters.
