FACT CHECK: Did Barack Obama Tweet That He Regrets Shaking Hands With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows a tweet from former President Barack Obama which reads, “Today I am shamefull [sic] for a hand shake with this man… #Narenda Modi.”
Facebook/Screenshot
Verdict: False
There is no record of Obama tweeting or deleting this message.
Fact Check:
The image shared on Facebook appears to show a screen grab of a Dec. 5 tweet from Obama that features an image of him shaking hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hand. “Today I am shamefull for a hand shake with this man… #Narenda Modi,” reads the accompanying text.
In recent months, farmers across India have been protesting new agricultural laws that they believe will be damaging to their industry, according to the Washington Post. The Indian government is facing increasing pressure to change the new laws as support for the farmers continues to grow, Bloomberg reported.
There is, however, no evidence that Obama ever sent such a tweet. U.S. politicians, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have been mentioned in news reports for their support of the Indian farmers. Had Obama tweeted his regret for shaking Modi’s hand, media outlets would have almost certainly reported on it, yet none have. (RELATED: Did Barack Obama Tweet, ‘Ask Ukraine If They Found My Birth Certificate’?)
The Daily Caller News Foundation searched Obama’s verified Twitter account, @BarackObama, but found no such tweet. Archived screen grabs of Obama’s Twitter profile on Dec. 5, the day the alleged tweet was sent, and Dec. 6 likewise show no similar remarks.
While there is no record of Obama sending or deleting the tweet, the image of the two men shaking hands is authentic. It was taken during Modi’s 2014 visit to the White House and was published by The Economic Times.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
