FACT CHECK: Did The NYPD Impound Trump Force One?
An image shared on Twitter purports to show the New York Police Department (NYPD) allegedly impounding former President Donald Trump’s personal plane, Trump Force One.
BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump deemed flight risk, NYPD impounds Trump Force One.#IndictmentWatch #IndictmentsAreComing pic.twitter.com/jcHND25HjT
— SnarkTank (@TheSnarkTank99) March 20, 2023
Verdict: False
The image is digitally fabricated. The social media user who shared the image admitted it was photoshopped in a subsequent post.
Fact Check:
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Trump created a “false expectation” around when he would potentially be arrested, according to The Hill. Trump said he expected to be arrested on Mar. 21 in connection with supposed hush money payments his former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels, Reuters reported.
“BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump deemed flight risk, NYPD impounds Trump Force One. #IndictmentWatch #IndictmentsAreComing,” the Twitter post, viewed 400,000 times, purports. Both Trump’s plane and a tow truck bearing an NYPD logo can be seen in the photo.
The claim is false. There are no credible news reports suggesting the NYPD allegedly impounded Trump’s plane. Likewise, the claim neither appears on the NYPD’s website nor its verified social media accounts. In addition, the former president has not publicly commented on the purported claim via his TRUTH Social account.
The social media user who shared the image admitted it was photoshopped in a subsequent post. The social media user made the admission after sharing another digitally fabricated graphic of Trump’s plane purportedly double parked outside a McDonald’s in midtown Manhattan.
When a user asked @TheSnarkTank99 to provide a source to support the claim, he wrote, “my brain and photoshop.” The social media user also describes himself as a “below average photoshoppist” via his bio.
My brain and photoshop 😉
— SnarkTank (@TheSnarkTank99) March 21, 2023
Trump’s personal plane, Trump Force One, was seen parked on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport on Mar. 20, an image published on Reuters Connect shows. (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Make This Post Stating His Own Indictment Would Be An Indictment Of All?)
Check Your Fact has contacted the NYPD and a Trump spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.