FACT CHECK: Image Of Fan Appearing To Flip Off Trump Is From Iowa State Game, Not Super Bowl LIX
An image shared on Instagram purports to show a fan flipping off President Donald Trump at Super Bowl LIX.
View this post on Instagram
Verdict: False
The image shows a fan flipping off Trump at an Iowa State game in September 2023, not Super Bowl LIX.
Fact Check:
Trump said “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release its remaining hostages this week, according to NBC News. Hamas indefinitely postponed a scheduled prisoner swap, accusing Israel of “continuing to shoot at Palestinians,” the outlet reported.
The Instagram image, viewed over 2,000 times as of writing, purports to show a fan flipping off Trump at Super Bowl LIX. “Superbowl [sic] picture of the century,” text superimposed on the image reads.
The image shows Trump waving to a crowd of fans from inside a stadium suite while a male dressed in a red shirt and black hat makes the obscene gesture at him. Besides Instagram, the image also circulated on Threads.
The claim is false. A comment shared on the Threads post indicates the image is not from Super Bowl LIX but rather is from an Iowa State game Trump attended. “These pics are from an Iowa State game over a year ago,” the comment reads.
Likewise, Democratic influencer Harry Sisson shared the same photo of Trump to his verified X account in May 2024. “Remember when an American patriot flipped off Donald Trump at an Iowa football game? I do. What an amazing photo!” Sisson wrote at the time.
Remember when an American patriot flipped off Donald Trump at an Iowa football game? I do. What an amazing photo! pic.twitter.com/ZaKlPggEdE
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) May 25, 2024
In addition, sports personality Stephen A. Smith highlighted fans flipping off Trump at the Iowa State game via a short video segment shared to his verified YouTube channel in September 2023. A photo of fans flipping off Trump is visible at the video’s 13-second mark.
Furthermore, Trump has not referenced the claim on his personal or government X accounts or his TRUTH Social account. Check Your Fact also did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Feb. 10, Lead Stories debunked the claim, tracing its origins to the Iowa State game in September 2023. (RELATED: Democrats Can Slow Down Trump Nominations, But Not Completely Block Them)
Trump attended Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, according to ABC News. He is the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, the outlet reported.
