Trump’s posts on the Brown shooting and Reiner killing fueled confusion before facts were known
In a weekend punctuated by tragic events, President Donald Trump quickly shared what he knew, even if his information ultimately proved to be wrong.
On Dec. 13, after a gunman opened fire at Brown University, killing two and injuring nine before evading capture, Trump posted on Truth Social that “the FBI is on the scene. The suspect is in custody.” But about 20 minutes later, Trump posted an update: “The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement — The suspect is NOT in custody.”
At the time, members of the Brown community in Providence, Rhode Island, were sheltering in place and seeking guidance on safety. A Brown student pushed back on the president’s assertion: “I am at brown university they have not confirmed a shooter in custody please do not believe trump and stay inside.”
On Dec. 15, the morning after Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were discovered slain in their home, Trump posted on Truth Social that the killing was “reportedly due to the anger (Rob Reiner) caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Related Knowledge Center: Fact-checking and its detractors
Fact-checking has become a familiar tool for political reporters to hold office-holders and candidates accountable. But critics ask if fact-checkers sometimes miss the forest for the trees, and if the practice often struggles with false equivalency the way conventional political coverage does.