FACT CHECK: Did CNN Tweet That Donald Trump Died ‘Due To COVID-19’?
A viral Instagram post purportedly shows a tweet from CNN announcing President Donald Trump died from COVID-19.
Verdict: False
There is no record of CNN tweeting such news; the tweet appears to be fabricated. Trump has recovered from COVID-19.
Fact Check:
The tweet, which looks like a screen grab, appears authentic at first glance. It has the correct Twitter handle and bears the blue check that notes the account has been verified by Twitter. The alleged tweet says, “Due to COVID-19, President Donald Trump Passes Away At 74.”
However, a review of CNN’s Twitter timeline found no tweets announcing that Trump died from COVID-19. Archived versions of CNN’s Twitter timeline on the Wayback Machine also don’t show any tweets to that effect since the president announced that he and the first lady tested positive on Oct. 2. It appears to be fabricated.
A CNN spokesperson told Check Your Fact via email, “CNN has not tweeted nor run a story making such a claim. It is a fabricated post.” (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Fox News Segment Saying Trump Tested Positive For COVID-19?)
A similar tweet has been published by a fake Fox News account with the handle @foxnewes.
Due To COVID-19, President Donald Trump Passes Away at 74 pic.twitter.com/dv7h25c6ji
— Fox Newes (@foxnewes) October 9, 2020
After the president announced his diagnosis Oct. 2, he was moved to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to NBC News. The White House said the move was “out of an abundance of caution,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told CNN. Trump left Walter Reed the following Monday and has since returned to the campaign trail.
Social media users in May shared a video that purportedly showed a Fox News segment about President Donald Trump testing positive for COVID-19. In reality, a segment about one of Trump’s personal valets testing positive had been deceptively edited to make it seem like Trump had, and the chyron had been digitally manipulated, Check Your Fact reported.
