Posts claiming to show former President Donald Trump golfing the day after the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, have gone viral online, reaching millions of people.
“Imagine getting shot at 7pm and still making your 9am tee time,” an X post with 12 million views says.
Other posts with the same image say he was golfing at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
VERIFY reader Kathy emailed us asking about rumors that Trump was golfing.
THE QUESTION
Does this photo show Donald Trump golfing the day after his assassination attempt?
THE SOURCES
- Original photo published by the Associated Press on Sept. 12, 2022
- RevEye, a reverse image search tool
- POLITICO news bulletin published July 14, 2024
THE ANSWER
No, this photo doesn’t show Trump golfing the day after his assassination attempt. The photo is two years old. There is no evidence to support claims the former president went golfing on July 14.
WHAT WE FOUND
Former president Donald Trump wasn’t spotted out golfing on July 14, the day after the attempt on his life. The photo being shared with the viral social media posts is nearly two years old.
Using RevEye, a reverse image search tool, VERIFY was able to trace this specific photograph to one taken by an Associated Press photographer and published on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.
Not only is this image two years old, but it was taken from his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, not in Bedminster, New Jersey as some of the recent posts claim.
“Former President Donald Trump rides around his golf course at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., Monday, Sept. 12, 2022,” the original photo caption says.
According to a POLITICO news bulletin published on July 14, Trump traveled to New Jersey following the assassination attempt but the Bedminster golf course was closed. VERIFY could not confirm if he used the golf course despite it being closed.
VERIFY reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.
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