FACT CHECK: No, Trump Did Not Save Children From Sex Trafficking In Underground Tunnels In New York?
A video shared on social media purportedly shows footage of children being rescued from a sex trafficking operation in tunnels under New York City.
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Verdict: False
This caption is inaccurate.
Fact Check:
Former President Donald Trump pleaded “not guilty” on Tuesday in Miami on 37 federal charges related to alleged mishandling of classified documents found in his Mar-a-Lago home, NPR reported. Two more trials for investigations are to come.
The Instagram post purports children were rescued from a sex trafficking ring by initiatives enacted by then President Trump. The video shows a side-by-side of footage of the alleged operation and a man reacting to it.
“Receives mercy and comfort that were sent from Trump to New York,” a female narrator says over the footage. “We have just confirmed information right now that they sent those ships, those highly equipt ships, to take care of children rescued from tunnel system under Central Park in New York. Children that were born in sex slavery in these tunnel systems, kept as sex slaves”
The claim is inaccurate. There is no credible news report that suggests these images are of a trafficking rescue. Check Your Fact conducted a reverse image search that revealed many of these images are from COVID-19 response during the pandemic.
The image of the ship dates back to Mar. 30, 2020 from AP News, when the USNS Comfort was mobilized to support New York City during COVID-19 pandemic. Another image was taken on board USNS Mercy in April of 2020 and used in an article from DVIDS. (RELATED: Does Viral Video Show The Nova Kakhovka Dam Being Blown Up?)
Video from ABC News actually showed a field hospital that was allegedly related to helping the rescued child was actually taken during the in March of 2020 when the Samaritan’s Purse built a field hospital.
This is not the first time a misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that Sen. Lindsey Graham endorsed former Vice President Mike Pence.
