FACT CHECK: Photo Of Donald Trump Golfing Is Digitally Altered

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

An image shared on Twitter purports to show former President Donald Trump at an exaggerated weight on the golf course.

Verdict: False

The image is digitally altered. The original image shows professional golfer John Daly.

Fact Check:

Trump sued sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll for defamation Tuesday, according to CNN. Trump said Carroll made statements accusing him of rape “with actual malice” after a jury found him not liable for rape, NBC News reported.

The Twitter image, viewed over 60,000 times, purports to show Trump at an exaggerated weight on the golf course.

The image is digitally altered. The original image, uploaded to the website, “Total Pro Sports,” shows Daly swinging a golf club while smoking a cigar.

Although the image recently circulated on social media, it was previously posted on Twitter by a Trump parody account in April 2017. “Today’s my 14th day of golf since inauguration. My muscles are very sore, so I’ll take a few days off from work this week. #SundayFunday,” the post’s caption read.

When the post previously circulated in 2017, many social media users mistook it for authentic following a story published by The New Yorker, which suggested the then-President had a negative view of exercise.

“Trump himself says that he is ‘not a big sleeper’ (‘I like three hours, four hours’) and professes a fondness for steak and McDonald’s. Other than golf, he considers exercise misguided, arguing that a person, like a battery, is born with a finite amount of energy,” the outlet reported.

Likewise, the purported photo of Trump has not appeared in any recent credible news reports about him. In addition, the former Republican President has neither referenced the purported photo on his website nor via his TRUTH Social account. (RELATED: Did Trump Violate His Court Order And Meet With His Aide Walt Nauta?)

Check Your Fact has contacted a Trump spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

This is not the first time a false claim involving the former Republican President has circulated online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a viral social media post purporting to show Trump dancing with a 13-year-old girl on late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s island.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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