President Donald Trump shared a fabricated quote attributed to actor Denzel Washington on his Truth Social account, and Washington's representative says it is not real. Alan Nierob, president of PMK Entertainment, told The Washington Post the quote was not real and that he had no idea where it came from.
The post was a screenshot from an X account called Red Eagle Updates. It showed Washington's photo beside a quote saying he had never met anyone braver or smarter than Trump and was a proud, steadfast supporter, and it asked readers whether they agreed. CNN, The Washington Post and Raw Story report that Trump shared it on Monday morning, while Newsweek reports it was a Sunday evening post.
Snopes had rated the quote an incorrect attribution on October 10, finding no credible reporting that Washington said it. The outlet found the identical wording has also been falsely attributed to Mick Jagger and Matthew McConaughey. Newsweek reports that Trump later told NBC News that someone else had put the post up.
False claims that Washington supports Trump have circulated for years. In 2016, a fabricated report claimed he had endorsed Trump, and Washington's publicist at the time called the story a complete fabrication, according to Mediaite.
- The Washington Post: Trump posts a made-up quote from Denzel Washington praising him
- CNN: Fact check: Trump posts fake quote of Denzel Washington supposedly praising him
- Newsweek: Donald Trump Shares Debunked Denzel Washington Endorsement
- Mediaite via Yahoo: Trump Elevates Viral — But Fake — Social Media Rumor That He Has Denzel Washington's Support
- Raw Story: Trump shares fake Denzel Washington endorsement that was debunked days earlier