Fact Check: Did Trump mock Lindsey Graham's musical preferences?
WASHINGTON, DC: Months after the death of former Senator Lindsay Graham, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show a post by President Donald Trump mocking the musical preference of the late senator. The claim has sparked mixed reactions online, with many users skeptical of the post and calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump mocked Lindsay Graham's music preference
The rumor surfaced as a screenshot, claiming to show a post by Trump on his official Truth Social handle.
The alleged post read, “I'm starting to have a few questions! It was actually Lindsey Graham who first introduced me to 'YMCA' by The Village People! Fantastic beat, tremendous energy at the rallies!"
"But then he told me his absolute favorite song of all time was their other hit, 'In the Navy'! He used to blast it on his phone and say, 'Mr. President, listen to this! They really care about seamen! I care so much about seamen!'"
"I used to think, 'Wow, Lindsey just loves our massive naval fleet and seamen!' But now, looking back at all these wild stories... I'm starting to wonder.”
The post has spread on Facebook and X, garnering tens of thousands of views, with comments indicating many believe the post is real, while others remain skeptical.
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such post
The claim, however, is false, as no such post exists on any of the president’s social media handles.
A search for the post on his Truth Social account as well as on his commentary accounts on X that automatically archive all his posts, yielded no results that match the text in the screenshot.
If Trump had really made such a post, prominent news outlets would have widely reported it, but a search on Google for the claim yielded no such reports.
Additionally, the screenshot includes several obvious clues indicating that it's a satire, including a watermark stating, ‘Mrs. Putin Satire.’
It also includes several errors, such as Trump’s username stated as ‘@realDotardTurmp’ while his actual username is ‘@realDonaldTrump.’
Donald Trump's tribute to Lindsey Graham
Graham died on June 11 this year, which stunned many in Washington, particularly because the veteran senator had remained active in public life and was engaged in international diplomacy only days earlier.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!” Trump wrote in honor of Graham.
