Fact Check: Did Trump ban people from listening to Canadian band RUSH amid trade war?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the trade war between the United States and Canada over tariffs, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump banned people from listening to the Canadian rock band RUSH. The claim has sparked criticism of Trump, with many questioning its authenticity, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump banned RUSH from the United States
The claim surfaced as a screenshot claiming to show a post by the president on his official Truth Social handle.
The alleged post read, “Effective October 1, listening to the Canadian rock band RUSH will no longer be allowed in the United States. RUSH is a Canadian band, and Canada has been very unfair to our country for many years."
"Anyone caught listening to RUSH on the radio, streaming, or at home will be detained by ICE and deported to Canada. We will not support Canadian bands while they continue to take advantage of the United States. MAKE AMERICA LISTEN AMERICAN AGAIN!”
The screenshot has spread on X, Facebook, and Threads, garnering hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing. Many appear to believe it is an authentic post by Trump, while others expressed skepticism.
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such post
However, the claim is false, as no such post appears on any of Trump’s social media handles, including X and Truth Social.
A search of Trump’s Truth Social account, as well as commentary X accounts that archive all his posts, yielded no results that match the text in the screenshot.
Moreover, the screenshot includes discrepancies, including a mix of Trump's profile picture on X with his verified pink checkmark emblem on Truth Social.
Trump’s profile picture in the screenshot is not the same as the one on his Truth Social account, and his X account has a pink checkmark emblem.
US-Canada trade war sparks RUSH ban speculation
The screenshot appeared as the Canadian rock band, formed in Toronto in 1968, is on a multi-state tour of the US in September and October and has 12 dates planned across seven states in the month of October alone.
The speculation is based on the Trump administration banning nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcohol, dairy, and motorcycles, in the latest move in a trade war that started over tariffs.
Amid the ban, Trump described the Canadian government as "very bad," but said they were being "taught a little lesson."
