FACT CHECK: Threads Post Does Not Show Image Of Trump’s Probation Officer

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

An image shared via a Threads post purports to show 2024 presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s probation officer, Rohondra Williams.

 

Post by @peskyprofessor
View on Threads

 

Verdict: False

The claim is false as the image shows Nikole Pilkington, a police commander at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), not Trump’s purported probation officer. A spokesperson for the IMPD told Check Your Fact they were aware of the claim circulating on TikTok.

Fact Check:

Republican Senators, including John Cornyn of Texas, have warned Judge Juan Merchan against sentencing Trump to “prison or house arrest,” according to The Hill. Cornyn labeled the potential move as “a further abuse of power,” the outlet reported.

The Threads post, which has received over 300 likes as of writing, purports to show Trump’s probation officer, Rohondra Williams. “Hopefully, they drug test him often,” the post’s caption reads. The post does not provide a source to support its claim.

The claim is false, however. A comment that appears beneath the Threads post identifies the officer in the photo as Nikole Pilkington of the IMPD. Using “Nikole Pilkington IMPD” as a search term, Check Your Fact performed a keyword search and found a LinkedIn profile for a police commander at the IMPD with the same name. According to the same LinkedIn profile, Pilkington has been with the IMPD since 2008, starting as an officer before being promoted to sergeant in 2018, lieutenant in 2023, and commander in 2024, respectively.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the image shared via the Threads post in any recent credible news reports about Trump. Actually, the opposite is true. Reuters reported the image showed Pilkington and not Trump’s purported probation officer via a June 4 article.

In addition, Trump has not indicated via his official website or his TRUTH Social account that he has yet been assigned a probation officer following his recent felony conviction. (RELATED: Image Of Trump Appearing To Be Apprehended By Police Is AI-Generated)

Furthermore, a spokesperson for the IMPD told Check Your Fact they were aware of the claim circulating on TikTok.

“We are aware of a video that was circulating on TikTok with a photo of IMPD Southwest District Commander Nikole Pilkington. No IMPD officer nor Commander Pilkington has had any involvement in the New York Trump case or has been assigned as a probation officer in this case. The video has been reported and appears to have since been removed from TikTok,” the spokesperson said.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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