FACT CHECK: Did Trump Tweet That He Is ‘Considering A Full Pardon’ For Bill Cosby?

Trevor Schakohl | Legal Reporter

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet from President Donald Trump that states he is “considering a FULL PARDON” for actor Bill Cosby.

Verdict: False

There is no record of Trump sending or deleting the tweet. It appears to be fabricated.

Fact Check:

Multiple Facebook users have shared the image of the supposed Dec. 14 tweet from Trump that talks about a possible pardon for Cosby. One user sharing the image called it a “slap in the face for the COSBY Victims.”

“Among others, I am considering a FULL PARDON for America’s Dad, the great Bill Cosby who is in all likelihood totally innocent,” reads the alleged tweet. “Sad we live in a country where great men like ‘Dr’ Cosby are in prison and crooked Hillary is not!” (RELATED: Did Elizabeth Trump Grau Send This Tweet In Support Of Her Brother, Donald Trump?)

In 2018, Cosby, who has denied wrongdoing, was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004, according to CNN. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Dec. 1 heard the former actor’s appeal about the trial judge’s decision to allow the testimony of five other accusers during his 2018 trial, The Associated Press reported.

There is no evidence Trump tweeted that he is considering granting Cosby a pardon. A search of his Twitter accounts – @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS – turned up no matches. ProPublica’s archive of his deleted tweets also shows no record of him deleting it. Had Trump tweeted such a thing, major media outlets would have covered it, yet none have.  The tweet appears to be fabricated.

Trump most recently on Nov. 25 pardoned his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to the Justice Department’s list of his pardons. Flynn had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI regarding his communications with a former Russian ambassador but had since sought to withdraw the plea, Reuters reported.

Trevor Schakohl

Legal Reporter
Follow Trevor on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/tschakohl

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