Former US President Donald Trump has used his social media platform to promote a thoroughly debunked claim that his predecessor, Barack Obama, received millions in royalty payments from the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
The False Claim Goes Viral
On Sunday, Trump shared a post with his 11 million followers on Truth Social that contained a screenshot with a bold, false headline. The text alleged that a payment of $2.5 million to Barack Obama for 'royalties linked to Obamacare' had been halted, claiming he had collected a total of $40 million since 2010.
The US president, who was spending the weekend criticising the healthcare law on social media in between golfing, added just a single word of commentary to the screenshot: "WOW!" The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether the president was aware the report was entirely fictional.
Origins in Satire and Fake News
This fabricated story is not new. Investigations show it has been circulating and being debunked since at least 2017. The claim originates from America's Last Line of Defense, a website that openly produces satirical fake news designed to generate outrage and engagement from conservative audiences.
The specific version shared by Trump recently gained traction in February after being posted on Facebook by the same network. It also appeared on the Dunning-Kruger-Times, another satirical site run by the same individual, Christopher Blair. Blair, who is based in Maine and has been described as a "godfather of fake news", has seen his work shared by prominent figures before.
In 2023, he commented that Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, was among the "dumbest people in the country" after Abbott shared a fake article about his own state from the Dunning-Kruger-Times.
Context and Political Repercussions
Trump's promotion of this falsehood occurred as Senate Democrats were actively working to extend tax credits for Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance. The timing highlights the ongoing political battle surrounding the landmark healthcare legislation, which Trump has repeatedly vowed to replace.
This incident raises continued concerns about the spread of misinformation from high-profile political leaders and the ease with which debunked claims can be resurrected and amplified to millions of followers, despite being thoroughly fact-checked.
