No, Donald Trump Is Not Dead

By

Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in U.S. public life. He has in-depth knowledge of open source-intelligence research and the global disinformation industry. Tom joined Newsweek in 2022 from Full Fact and had previously worked at the Health Service Journal, the Nottingham Post, and the Advertising Standards Authority. He is a graduate of Liverpool and Nottingham Trent University. You can get in touch with Tom by emailing t.norton@newsweek.com or calling 646-887-1107. You can find him on X @tomsnorton, on Instagram @NortonNewsweek. Languages: English.

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A series of bizarre posts were sent from Donald Trump Jr.'s account on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, one of which suggested that not only his father, Donald Trump, had died but that we would be making a 2024 presidential bid in his place.

The posts also included offensive comments about President Joe Biden containing racial epithets, an insult toward Elon Musk, and a claim about messages with Jeffrey Epstein.

However, as was quickly revealed by others, the posts sent by the president's son were not what they may have seemed.

Donald Trump
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives to address the Pray Vote Stand Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on September 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C. A bizarre post from Donald Trump Jr.'s... Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Claim

A series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, from Donald Trump Jr.'s account, on September 20, 2023, included the claim: "I'm sad to announce my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024."

The Facts

Other messages posted from Donald Trump Jr.'s account included "F*** @JoeBiden Stupid A** N****," "Some interesting messages with Jeffrey Epstein" and "my dad owns u @eleonmusk bum."

The messages only appeared briefly before being removed, the content and tone of the posts clearly the result of a hack on the president's son's account.

While the messages are now gone, Trump Jr.'s spokesperson, Andrew Surabian, commented on one of the posts on X, writing "FYI: This is obviously not true. Don's account has been hacked."

Other members of the Trump family also commented. Eric Trump joked about the hack afterward, posting on X: "What was@donaldtrumpjr password? Don2024? 😋" The comment was reposted by Surabian.

Newsweek has reached out to media representatives for Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump and X via email for comment.

Although he has not responded to the hack, Donald Trump's Truth Social account was updated around the time the messages were sent, commenting on Biden's speech to the United Nations.

Posting around 9 a.m. ET, Trump wrote: "If I would have made that speech yesterday at the United Nations, for all of the World to see, including the HORRENDOUS delivery, I would have been run out of politics! An EMBARRASSMENT to our Country."

The Ruling

False

False.

Donald Trump is not dead, as messages shared from Donald Trump Jr.'s X account may have suggested.

The claim was part of a number of bizarre social media posts that appeared briefly. A spokesperson for the president's son confirmed that Trump Jr.'s account was hacked. The former president had posted a message on Truth Social around the same time the hack occurred.

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About the writer

Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in U.S. public life. He has in-depth knowledge of open source-intelligence research and the global disinformation industry. Tom joined Newsweek in 2022 from Full Fact and had previously worked at the Health Service Journal, the Nottingham Post, and the Advertising Standards Authority. He is a graduate of Liverpool and Nottingham Trent University. You can get in touch with Tom by emailing t.norton@newsweek.com or calling 646-887-1107. You can find him on X @tomsnorton, on Instagram @NortonNewsweek. Languages: English.

Writers Page

Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in ... Read more