No evidence of Trump selling 'holy oil' to fund legal bills | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·2 min read
1

The claim: Trump is selling ‘holy oil’ to pay legal debts

A March 21 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims former President Donald Trump's financial woes have prompted him to start selling a religious product.

“Carrot top, rtump (sic), is reduced to selling holy oil to his evangelical base to raise funds for his legal bills,” reads the post.

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Our rating: False

There is no evidence Trump is selling holy oil. The Rev. Al Sharpton said in an interview that Trump would “maybe” sell it to raise money for his legal costs, but there is no evidence he meant this as a serious claim.

Sharpton's comment met with laughter from other MSNBC panelists

There is no such product listed on the online stores for Trump’s personal brand or 2024 campaign.

The claim echoes a comment Sharpton made in a March 21 appearance on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut.” The post was made minutes after Sharpton appeared on the show.

Sharpton referenced the difficulty Trump was having in securing a $454 million bond in his civil fraud case and said the former president is "trying to do whatever he can to get some money."

“When I was a boy preacher, it was nothing for a con man to pitch a tent and claim hallelujah,” Sharpton said. "Now he's down to tent revivals in Florida. I mean, he's pitching a tent ... maybe he'll be selling blessed oil before this is over."

The other panelists laughed in response to the remark, taking it as a joke, and Sharpton did not provide any examples or other indication that the comment was intended to be taken as a serious assertion.

Fact check: Mike Pence said he 'will not be voting for Donald Trump' in 2024

USA TODAY has debunked an array of false claims about Trump, including that the Las Vegas Sphere displayed a vulgar anti-Trump message, that he never visited U.S. troops overseas during his presidency and that he posted a statement about hiring a lawyer with “more practical experience” after losing his E. Jean Carroll case.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Trump is not selling 'holy oil' to fund legal bills | Fact check

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