Fact Check: Is video of Trump saying 'trans people don't exist' real?

WASHINGTON, DC: Since Donald Trump took office in January 2025 for his second run as the president, he signed an executive order proclaiming there are only two sexes, male and female, and ended "radical and wasteful" diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs inside federal agencies.

Now, recently, a rumor circulated across the internet claiming that a video showed Donald Trump saying, "trans people don't exist." But is there any truth to this? Let's find out below.

Claim: Video shows Donald Trump saying 'trans people don't exist'

In August 2025, a rumor circulated online in August 2025 claimed a video showed President Donald Trump saying, "trans people don't exist."

An X user @MaverickDarby posted a video on August 28 with the caption, "Trump: 'Trans people don't exist.' Unreal."

Moreover, the viral clip was shared across different social media platforms such as Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

The video showed the POTUS allegedly announcing at the White House, "My fellow Americans, enough is enough. We need to call a spade a spade. Trans people don't exist. Let me say it again. Trans people do not exist. I can tape a stick on a horse's head but that doesn't make it a unicorn. It's a horse, folks. Total horse."

"These are deeply disturbed individuals who have been manipulated by liars and psychopaths in positions of influence. They are on mind drugs, very powerful," Trump allegedly said in the clip.

False: No credible evidence to back the viral claim

The claims made in the online rumor are false, as Trump did not actually say "trans people don't exist," nor did he say any of the other sentences audible in the video.

Moreover, the viral clip originated from @MaverickDarby's X account as a fake clip manipulated with an artificial-intelligence (AI) tool, Snopes reported.

The X user's account also contained a bio specifying its content to be "mostly satire".

Furthermore, BBC Verify senior journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh also debunked the video on X.

The X user's usage of the word "unreal" in the text caption served as one of the hints that @MaverickDarby created the clip, including the usage of AI tools to manipulate the POTUS' lip movements with deepfake visuals and fake vocals.

Proof: Clip used was from White House YouTube channel

The end of the video displayed onscreen text reading, "Unreal: lacking in reality, substance, or genuineness."

The fact-checking outlet also did a reverse image search of several frames in the clip and found an unedited video of Trump speaking at the lectern.

Interestingly, the original video appeared on the official White House YouTube channel and was shot on May 12, 2025. It was an appearance during which the president did not once mention trans people.

The fake video began circulating the day after a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a 23-year-old transgender named Robin Westman opened fire, killing 2 children and wounding 18 others.