Fact Check: Did Trump threaten to turn off Niagara Falls until Canada pays 100% tariff?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the trade war between the United States and Canada over tariffs, a social media post claimed that President Donald Trump has threatened to turn off the iconic Niagara Falls until Canada agrees to pay a 100% tariff. The claim has drawn criticism and speculation from online users, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump threatened to turn off Niagara Falls
The claim spread with a screenshot that appeared to show a post by Trump on his official Truth Social handle.
The alleged post began by stating, “NO MORE FREE NIAGARA FALLS FOR CANADA!”
It went on to say, “For far too long, Canada has been enjoying our water, our views, our tourists, and our great American waterfall NIAGARA FALLS! They get the Canadian side; they take the mist, the water, and billions of dollars from tourism, all while treating the United States unfairly on trade, lumber, energy, and so many other things."
"It's a total disgrace! Effective immediately, unless Canada agrees to pay a 100% TARIFF on Niagara Falls, we will be turning off the tap to the falls. That's right - NO WATER FOR CANADA! We have the control. We have the valves. We can reduce the flow, or shut it down completely, and we will if necessary."
"Canada has been taking advantage of the United States for decades, getting a world-famous natural resource basically for free while insulting our country and making it harder for American businesses."
"That ends now! If they want the water, the mist, the tourism, and the beauty of Niagara Falls, they must pay 100%, or they don't get it. No more free rides, no more unfair treatment, and no more taking advantage of the United States. AMERICA FIRST! KEEP OUR WATER IN AMERICA!"
The post concluded with the remarks, "Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such post
However, the claim is false, as the screenshot is fake, and no such post exists on any of Trump’s social media handles.
A search on his Truth Social account for the text in the screenshot yielded no results. A search of commentary accounts that archive all his Truth Social posts, as well as Facebook and X accounts, for the text also returned no results.
If Trump really made such a post, prominent news outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines. But a Google search for the claim to ascertain if he made a similar statement outside of social media yielded no such news reports.
