Fact Check: Did Sean Penn call Trump 'an enemy of the state' and 'mankind'?

The quote against Trump began circulating in late May, claiming to be from Sean Penn

BY SAURAV SURESH

PUBLISHED 52 MINUTES AGO

A viral post claims Sean Penn called Donald Trump an enemy of mankind and the state (Getty Images, AP Photos)

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid criticisms and pressure over the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Hollywood actor Sean Penn called President Donald Trump an enemy of mankind and the state, sparking speculations. Let us analyze and fact-check the claim.

Claim: Sean Penn called Trump an 'enemy of mankind and the state'

While netizens expressed mixed reactions towards Penn, with many believing it to be true, a few others remained skeptical (The Hodgetwins/Facebook)

The quote began circulating in late May, claiming to be from Sean Penn, in which he allegedly called the president an enemy of mankind.

According to a Facebook post, Penn said, “President Donald Trump is an enemy of Americans, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and every new child born. An enemy of mankind. He is indeed an enemy of the state.”

While netizens expressed mixed reactions towards Penn, with many believing it to be true, a few others remained skeptical and questioned the authenticity of the viral quote.

Fact Check: True, quote is correctly attributed to Sean Penn

Sean Penn speaks onstage during a CAA Screening and Filmmaker Q&A of 'September 5' in Los Angeles at Creative Artists Agency on December 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, California (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

The remark about Trump is correctly attributed to Penn, who wrote these words in a 2018 opinion piece for Time magazine when describing relief work he did in Haiti after a devastating earthquake in 2010.

Penn wrote an essay for the magazine titled ‘Sean Penn: Donald Trump Is the Enemy of Compassion' in January 2018, in response to Trump’s use of the slur ‘s*** hole countries,’ when referring to Haiti and various African nations.

He wrote, "President Donald Trump's words describing the glorious people of Africa, El Salvador, and Haiti are far worse than mere insensitivity or even nationalism. Those standards are not disgraceful enough."

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he inspects the painting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool basin, with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (2-L) and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin (R) looking on, on May 07, 2026 in Washington, DC.The repairs are part of President Trump's — President Donald Trump speaks as he inspects the painting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool basin, with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin looking on, on May 07, 2026, in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The essay concluded, stating, “…we will find unity only when we recognize that in our current president we have elected, perhaps for the first time in our history, an enemy of compassion."

"Indeed, we can be unified not only with each other but with Africa, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, the Middle East, and beyond if we recognize that President Donald Trump is an enemy of Americans, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and every new child born. An enemy of mankind. He is indeed an enemy of the state.”

Penn also spoke about his 2010 trip to Haiti following the earthquake, where he accompanied US Army personnel deployed by then-President Barack Obama as part of a humanitarian relief mission.