Fact Check: Has Donald Trump fasted every Friday since 2020?
WASHINGTON, DC: Since Donald Trump began his second run as the President of the United States, people have raised concerns regarding his health, especially when he was spotted with bruises on his hands.
Recently, a rumor circulated online claiming that Trump had fasted every Friday since 2020. As per the claim, the POTUS abstained from eating food with no exceptions, both for 'America's healing' and for God. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: Trump has fasted every Friday since 2020
A Facebook user shared a post on March 7 that read, "America, while you’re eating lunch this Friday, Donald Trump will be FASTING - and when you understand WHY he’s been doing this every single Friday for the past FIVE YEARS without telling anyone, you’re going to see his heart in a way that changes everything."
"Since 2020, Trump has followed one STRICT spiritual discipline that almost nobody knows about: Every Friday, he FASTS from sunrise to sunset. No food. No exceptions. Doesn’t matter if he’s exhausted," the Facebook post added.
The post further mentioned, "This is SPIRITUAL WARFARE - Trump denying himself physical food to ask God for spiritual FOOD for our nation. Melania confirmed this when asked: 'People don’t see this side of Donald. He takes spiritual discipline VERY seriously. Every Friday for years now - fasting and praying for America'."
"Nobody writing articles praising it. Just Trump, quietly, consistently, sacrificing for a nation that half of it hates him. Here’s the truth that destroys me: Trump fasts every Friday not for himself, but for US - for America’s healing, even when America won’t heal its hatred of HIM," the Facebook user also wrote.
Fact Check: False, viral post is fictional content
The claims made in the viral post are false, as the rumor is fictional and was generated with the help of AI tools. The Facebook page's several daily posts displayed signs that users generated the stories with AI tools to create inspiring accounts about public figures.
Moreover, searches for photos of Donald Trump attending dinners on Fridays located several examples, including showing him with food or a finished plate in front of him.
Furthermore, if the story were true, reputable news outlets would have widely reported on it. Several White House events have taken place on Fridays of 2025 where the POTUS was seen having his meal.
The posts alleging Trump has fasted every Friday for years had a format and flow similar to the other daily posts on the same Facebook page. That format and flow suggested that the Facebook users managing the page fed a template-based prompt into an AI tool.
