Fact Check: Did Trump say Iran’s new leader Mojtaba Khamenei is 'gay' during CNN exchange?
WASHINGTON, DC: CNN, a long-time target of Donald Trump, is again at the center of a social media storm after viral posts claimed Trump called Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, gay during a CNN exchange. The claim was made up online after Trump criticized CNN for airing part of Khamenei’s remarks, and also said it was unclear whether the Iranian leader was still alive following reports of an airstrike. As the rumor spreads, here’s what’s true and what isn’t.
Claim: Trump dubbed Iran’s new leader gay
An X post shared by user Gator Gar circulated an unverified exchange between Donald Trump and CNN, claiming Trump mocked Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
In the viral post, Trump was alleged to have said, “A lot of people are saying the new Ayatollah is gay.” CNN responded, “Sir, is name-calling really the right move here? We’re at war.”
The post further claimed Trump replied, “Name-calling? The man likes other men,” after which CNN allegedly called the remark “disgusting and uncalled for.”
The post quickly gained attention, crossing over a million views within a day, with thousands of likes and many comments. While some users believed the exchange, others questioned whether it was real.
Several people asked, “Is this real?” and “Did this actually happen?” showing growing doubt about the authenticity of the viral claim.
Fact Check: False, no credible evidence to support the claim
Unverified claims about Mojtaba Khamenei surfaced in intelligence discussions, but there is no evidence that Donald Trump called him gay during any exchange with CNN. Notably, if Donald Trump had made such a remark during a CNN exchange, major news outlets would have widely reported it, and video clips of the moment would have quickly spread across the internet. No verified transcript, video, or credible news report shows Trump making such a statement on CNN.
Reports say Trump was briefed on US intelligence about Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei. The briefing included unconfirmed claims and suggested that his father had concerns about his suitability to lead.
According to the report, Trump reacted with surprise and laughed during the briefing, while others in the room also found it 'hilarious' and joined in. One source even said a senior intelligence official “has not stopped laughing about it for days.” However, none of these accounts says that Trump publicly called Khamenei gay.
Trump has also voiced displeasure over Iran naming Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, as the new leader after the late Ayatollah. Despite this, there is still no credible evidence that he made the viral remark attributed to him.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
