Fact Check: Did Trump accuse Biden of being a Russian agent in a social media post?
WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden of being a Russian agent in a social media post addressing him as ‘sleepy Joe.’ The post has sparked mockery and speculation. Let us analyze the origins of the claim and fact-check the post's authenticity.
Claim: Donald Trump accused Joe Biden of being a Russian agent
The claim spread in the form of a screenshot showing a post by Trump on his official Truth Social account, where he called Biden a Russian agent.
The alleged post states, “SLEEPY JOE was a RUSSIAN AGENT! He was invited to MOSCOW in 1987, and that's when he became compromised!"
"That's why RUSSIA helped him STEAL the 2020 election from ME! They even used CHINA to spread THE FAKE COVID VIRUS using 5G towers and inside WAYFAIR FURNITURE!"
"The 'Joe Biden' that sometimes did press conferences was actually BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA in a VERY WELL made HOLLYWOOD MASK!! Everyone now knows that. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.”
The screenshot has been amplified by several accounts, garnering more than a million views as of this writing.
While many in the comments appeared to believe the post to be real, a few others remained sceptical.
Fact Check: False, Donald Trump made no such post
However, the screenshot is fake and depicts a fabricated post by Trump. A search on his Truth Social account yielded no results that match the texts in the screenshot. The post also does not exist on the president's other social media accounts such as X.
A search on Google for the allegation, as seen in the fake post yielded no credible reports by prominent news media outlets which shows Trump making such a remark.
Although Trump called Biden ‘sleepy Joe’ on various occasions, there is no evidence that the former President was being accused of being a Russian agent.
Donald Trump shares AI image mocking Biden administration
On May 7, Trump shared an AI-generated image targeting Biden and senior Democrats, renewing criticism of Biden’s administration and reviving allegations over the use of an autopen for official presidential actions.
According to the post published on Truth Social, Biden is seen asleep at the Resolute Desk while former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared nearby.
The image was accompanied by a caption stating, “A highly accurate depiction of the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration. Tremendous damage done but, WE’RE BACK!!!”