Fact Check: Did Trump call Paul McCartney an 'anti-Trump joke' in a social media post?
WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor has been circulating on social media claiming that President Donald Trump called musician and former 'The Beatles' member Paul McCartney an "Anti-Trump joke" in an online post.
The claim has sparked speculation, with many questioning its authenticity and calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Trump called Paul McCartney an 'Anti-Trump joke'
The rumor stemmed from a screenshot purportedly showing a post by Trump on his official Truth Social account, in which he insulted the member of the iconic British band.
The alleged post read, “Paul McCartney is an anti-Trump joke. And the Beatles are a total disaster, sad! They were never talented, just a bunch of people screaming into microphones! Very overrated..."
"...Maybe the most overrated band in the history of music! I've heard better music from my gardener, true story! The media loves them because they are part of the fake news machine!"
"No talent, no energy, just a big, fat hoax! We want real rock and roll, not that weak stuff! Make music great again!.
While many appeared to believe the post to be real, few others remained skeptical, prompting a fact-check.
Fact Check: False, Trump made no such post
The claim, however, is false, as the president made no such post. A search of his official Truth Social account, along with archival accounts that preserve all of his posts, found no record of the alleged statement.
There are also no reports of Trump criticizing the musician outside of social media. Google searches likewise found no relevant coverage from prominent news or entertainment outlets.
The search revealed that the post originated from a Facebook account called Zeke Sky, which frequently shares anti-Trump content. The caption read, “People will say this is fake. But believe me it is not not unreal," which essentially indicates that the post is fake.
In a Facebook direct message, the account admitted that the post was satire, stating, “It was created by a staff writer through a social media post generator. It is not AI." Hence, the claim is rated as ‘satire.’
