Fact Check: "Donald Trump's mother called him an idiot in an interview"
What We Know
In December 2019, a meme circulated on social media claiming that Mary Anne Trump, the mother of former U.S. President Donald Trump, referred to him as "an idiot with zero common sense" and expressed hope that he would never enter politics, stating he would be a "disaster" (Snopes). This quote has been widely shared but lacks any credible source or evidence to support its authenticity. Mary Anne Trump passed away in 2000, making it impossible for her to have made such comments recently (Check Your Fact).
Multiple fact-checking organizations have investigated this claim and found no record of Mary Anne Trump ever making this statement. Searches through newspaper archives and interviews yielded no matches for the alleged quote (Reuters, Check Your Fact). The meme appears to have been created without any factual basis and has been classified as "Unfounded" by Snopes and others (Snopes, FactCheck.org).
Analysis
The claim that Donald Trump's mother called him an idiot is not supported by any credible evidence. The meme that contains the quote does not provide any context, date, or source, which raises significant doubts about its authenticity. Fact-checkers have noted that if such a disparaging remark had been made, it would likely have been reported in the media, especially during Donald Trump's presidential campaigns in the late 1990s and 2016 (Check Your Fact).
The sources that have debunked this claim include Snopes, Check Your Fact, and FactCheck.org, all of which are reputable fact-checking organizations known for their rigorous standards. They have consistently found that the quote does not appear in any credible publications or interviews, reinforcing the conclusion that it is a fabrication (Snopes, Check Your Fact, FactCheck.org).
Conclusion
The claim that Donald Trump's mother called him an idiot in an interview is False. There is no evidence to support this assertion, and it appears to have originated from a meme without any credible source. The lack of documentation or reliable testimony regarding the quote further solidifies its status as a fabrication.
Sources
- False claim: Donald Trump's mother said he would be a disaster in politics
- Did Trump's Mom Once Call Him an 'Idiot'? - Snopes.com
- FACT CHECK: Did Donald Trump's Mother 'Hope He Never Goes Into Politics'? - Check Your Fact
- Unsubstantiated claim that Donald Trump’s mother said he’d be a ‘disaster’ in politics reshared online
- Dubious Quote Attributed to Trump's Mother - FactCheck.org
