Barron Trump photo falsely linked to rally shooting | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
1

The claim: Image shows Barron Trump at July 13 rally

A July 14 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows Barron Trump in a suit and tie and crossing his arms while standing among a crowd, some of whom are wearing Trump memorabilia.

"Imagine having a front row seat to your dad getting shot in the head," reads text within the post, which was originally shared on X, formerly Twitter. "Barron will never forget what they did to his father!"

The Threads post was like nearly 3,000 times in three days.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Fact check roundup: Trump shooting fact check roundup: False claims about rally attack spread online

Our rating: False

The photo was captured in Florida four days before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. There's no evidence the former president's son attended the July 13 rally.

Barron image captured in Florida

Trump was injured during an assassination attempt at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents moments after opening fire at Trump with a rifle.

But the picture of Trump's son is unrelated to the incident.

An uncropped version of the photo was previously shared on X on July 9, four days before the Pennsylvania shooting. The original photo shows Eric Trump standing beside Barron Trump in the front row of an audience of supporters.

The former president was holding a rally in Doral, Florida, at the time, according to a web archive of his campaign website. His youngest son was photographed in the same suit and tie at the event by Reuters and The Associated Press.

Fact check: No evidence Mayorkas denied security requests ahead of Trump rally

There are no credible reports of Barron Trump attending the July 13 rally. No photos or news footage captured during the incident show the former president's son standing in the front row, and a statement released by Melania Trump the following day doesn't mention her son's supposed presence at the event.

USA TODAY reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The users who shared the post couldn't be contacted.

PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Image doesn't show Barron Trump in front row of PA rally | Fact check

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next