Politics

FACT CHECK: Did Trump Tweet That The Confederate Flag Is A ‘Symbol Of Love’?

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An image shared on Facebook claims President Donald Trump tweeted that the Confederate flag is a “symbol of LOVE.”

Verdict: False

The tweet appears to have been fabricated. There is no record of Trump ever tweeting the statement.

Fact Check:

The Pentagon announced in a memo July 17 a policy that effectively bars displays of the Confederate flag from U.S. military installations, The Associated Press reported. An image shared on Facebook claims Trump took to Twitter to express his frustration with the move.

“SO MAD!!! Pentagon abolished Confederate flag today,” reads part of the alleged July 17 tweet from the president. “The flag is TREMENDOUS part of our history. It’s a symbol of LOVE!!”

But there is no record of the president ever tweeting the comment. Trump’s tweets often garner media attention, yet there is no news reporting about the alleged tweet, which went on to make racist statements about how plantations “kept black people employed” and how “Black unemployment was VERY low back then like now with ME as your president.”

The Daily Caller News Foundation also searched Trump’s verified Twitter accounts – @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS – and archives of his deleted tweets, but didn’t find such a remark.

In a recent interview with CBS News, Trump appeared to defend people’s rights to display the Confederate flag.

“All I say is freedom of speech,” Trump told CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge. “It’s very simple. My attitude is freedom of speech. Very strong views on the Confederate flag. With me, it’s freedom of speech. Very simple. Like it, don’t like it, it’s freedom of speech.”