Fact Check: Is Eric Trump under investigation for alleged White House UFC rigging?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the controversy surrounding the emergence of screenshots involving a conversation between Eric Trump and former champion Daniel Cormier, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump’s son is under investigation by prosecutors. Let us analyse and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Eric Trump under probe for alleged UFC rigging
According to a viral post on X that has garnered more than a hundred thousand views, Prosecutors in Washington are reportedly opening a criminal investigation into Eric Trump's brazen attempt to rig the UFC fights last night, with several sports leagues proposing banning him for life.
The claim has been amplified by various other accounts, sparking criticisms against the president’s son, indicating that many appear to believe the claim is authentic, while few others remain skeptical, questioning the authenticity of the viral claim.
Fact Check: The claim originated as a satire
The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence to substantiate the rumor. There are no official statements or announcements from any federal prosecutors about a probe into the alleged UFC rigging.
A search on Google for the claim yielded no credible reports by prominent news media outlets, which, if true, would have been covered widely, making headlines.
Moreover, the claim was posted by an X account called ‘The Halfway Post,’ which describes itself in the bio as satire. Hence, the post was intended to be a parody, made for the sake of engagement.
A fact check by Grok stated, “This is satire from the account @HalfwayPost, which describes itself as 'halfway true comedy' that improves on facts.No D.C. prosecutors have opened any investigation into Eric Trump over UFC fights.”
Daniel Cormier shares alleged Eric Trump UFC messages
Eric Trump found himself at the center of an unexpected controversy after former champion Daniel Cormier shared screenshots of their alleged conversation, as the UFC comes to the White House to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday.
The screenshots, which are now deleted and have been labeled fake by Eric, allegedly show the president's son bluntly questioning whether any of the White House bouts had been fixed.
Cormier, who is set to serve as a commentator for the event, accompanied the screenshots with a fiery caption, saying, "I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light; however, I refuse to stay silent.”
"The UFC is a sport that I am deeply passionate about. I will not tolerate this type of insider behavior. Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event,” it continued.
