Fact Check: Did Trump threaten to 'annihilate' Iran with B-2 bombers in a social media post?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid renewed geopolitical tensions with Iran and ongoing negotiations between the two countries, a rumor began circulating on social media claiming to show a post by President Donald Trump threatening to annihilate the Islamic Republic with B-2 bombers.
The alleged post quickly sparked concern and debate online. Here's a closer look at the claim and the facts behind it.
Claim: Trump threatened to annihilate Iran with B-2s
The claim spread in the form of a screenshot purporting to show a post from the president's official Truth Social account.
The alleged post states, “Iran are you RETARDED??, (. how great we can use that word again!!!) Your Favorite President gave these losers every chance. But instead, they're launching rockets and trying to KILL as they've done for 47 years."
The alleged post went on to say, "Listen you f***wits, I tried negotiating. Now it's time for my favorite B-2s (, what a beautiful plane) to ANNIHILATE YOUR REGIME FOR ALL TIME. To quote a great man, one of the greatest, ‘You're fired.’”
The screenshot has been amplified by several accounts on X, garnering millions of views, with many users appearing to believe the post was authentic.
Fact Check: False, No such post exists on Trump's Truth Social
The screenshot is fake. Trump made no such post on Truth Social. A search of Trump's Truth Social account for the language shown in the screenshot yielded no results.
Moreover, the fabricated post ended with the phrase, “NOT DTJ,” indicating it was intended as satire. The original image also included a label stating, “Made with AI.”
A fact-check by Grok concluded: “No, this isn't a real Trump post. The screenshot is explicitly marked ‘-NOT DJT’ at the bottom, and no matching post exists on his Truth Social or X accounts. It's a satirical fake mimicking his style amid current Iran tensions. Trump uses strong rhetoric, but this vulgar version is fabricated.”
Trump shrugs off Iran nuclear negotiations
The screenshot surfaced as Trump offered a candid assessment of ongoing negotiations with Iran on Monday, June 1, saying he would not be concerned if the talks collapsed because they had become increasingly uninteresting to him.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with CNBC when asked about the status of discussions with Tehran amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Although he appeared dismissive of the negotiations at one point, he later said that talks between the two sides were continuing.