Though President Donald Trump has several high-profile supporters, he has shared an endorsement that has been proven false.
In a Sunday evening Truth Social post, Trump shared a screenshot from an X account called Red Eagle Updates that quoted Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington saying: "I've worked with a lot of people in my life, and I've never met anyone braver, smarter, or who cares more about America than Donald Trump. He's a great friend and an even better president. I'm proud to be a steadfast supporter, and I'll never apologize for it. God Bless America and our president."
But the quote had already been debunked, adding to a long-running pattern of fabricated political statements attributed to Washington.
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Did Washington Say He Is a 'Steadfast Supporter' of Trump?
Trump's Truth Social account shared the post two days after Snopes published a fact check finding no evidence Washington ever made the remarks. On October 10, Snopes reported that searches found no credible sources showing Washington praised Trump, either with the words Trump shared or otherwise.
Federal Election Commission records show that Washington previously donated to Democratic candidates, including $28,500 to former President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign and $27,000 to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, when she was running against Trump.
The quote shared by Trump's account has previously been attributed to actor Matthew McConaughey and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, but no evidence shows either made such comments about Trump.
Newsweek reached out to Washington's publicists at PMK Entertainment and the White House via email for comment.
Moments before Trump's account shared the publicly debunked Washington quote, the account also shared a post from conservative commentator Nick Sortor who wrote: “President Trump just DANCED off the stage in Tennessee after yet ANOTHER 2 HOUR speech,” adding, “And Democrats want you think he’s losing it.”
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Previous False Quotes
This is far from the first time Washington has found himself at the center of false claims about his political support. In 2016, reports falsely claimed that Washington had “backed Trump in the most epic way,” and that he spoke “against Obama.”
The story was shared thousands of times, but within hours Washington’s publicist Alan Nierob told BBC News that the story was “100 percent complete fabrication.”
In 2018, fact-checkers debunked a claim that Washington had called Obama the "criminal-in-chief," finding no evidence he had made the remarks.
Washington again found himself at the center of a bogus story that he said he had “had it” with the Democratic Party’s “lies” and now supports Trump. Again, his publicist said, “Without confirming his political affiliation, this post is a complete fabrication.”
This year, other posts and stories have suggested that Washington “ripped up” his Democratic Party card and praised Trump, but fact checks continue to debunk the comments.
In August 2024, Trump's Truth Social account shared a post claiming Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, had endorsed him for president. The bank quickly denied it, with a spokesperson saying Dimon had not endorsed anyone. Trump later told NBC News: "Somebody put it up. I don't know."
This came around the same time the Trump account shared AI-generated images and posts suggesting Taylor Swift supporters backed him. That September, Swift endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris and cited the false images as a reason for going public with her support.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Sam Wilson.