Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Donald Trump did not congratulate Navy SEALs on Haiti assassination
If Your Time is short
-
Haiti President Jovenel Moïse was killed by unidentified gunmen in his home on July 7.
-
There is no evidence that former President Trump sent out a Telegram post, nor is there evidence that Navy SEALs had anything to do with the assassination of the Haitian president.
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home on July 7. While the search for the suspects continues, an Instagram post claimed that former President Donald Trump congratulated the Navy seals for a "perfect beautiful whack."
An Instagram post from July 7, 2021, included a headline it claimed was from the New York Times that said, "In a now deleted Telegram post, Former President Donald Trump congratulated the Navy SEALs on a ‘perfect beautiful whack.’" The post also claimed, "President Biden fears the assassination spells the end of America’s centuries old policy of allowing the Haitian people to exercise absolute self-determination."
We decided to fact-check this claim.
Moïse was killed in his home by multiple gunmen. Moïse’s wife Martine was shot and injured.
The gunmen identified themselves as agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, before entering the property, Haitian ambassador to the U.S. Bocchit Edmond told Reuters.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
In a July 7 State Department briefing, spokesperson Ned Price condemned the allegations that the assasination was carried out by DEA agents. "These reports are absolutely false. The United States condemns this heinous act," Price said at the briefing. "These false reports are nothing more than that, just false reports."
Moïse was the source of much controversy in Haiti during his presidency. In recent months, protesters demanded Moïse’s resignation after disputes about when his term was set to expire. Moïse insisted that his term would end on Feb. 7, 2022, because of delays in his swearing in, while opponents pushed for his ousting.
Moïse had ruled by decree since 2020 after the country failed to hold parliamentary elections.In February, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeffrey DeLaurentis emphasized "the need to bring the current period of rule by decree to a swift conclusion."
International politics notwithstanding, there is no evidence that Trump sent out a Telegram post about the events in Haiti. President Trump has no history of using Telegram to relay messages to the public. We asked his office for a comment but have yet to receive a response.
There is concern that the assassination can lead to instability in Haiti, but the headline highlighting Biden’s concern for Haiti’s self-determination was not published by the New York Times.
The Instagram post was apparently doctored: When reached for comment, the New York Times said that it did not write or publish either of the headlines in the screenshot.
Featured Fact-check
The suspected gunmen may have identified themselves as agents from the DEA, but there is no evidence that Navy SEALs killed Moïse.
A spokesperson from the Navy said, "Regarding the Navy SEALs, these claims are false. They are wholly fabricated without any basis in fact."
In a statement, President Joe Biden condemned the assassination, and said, "The United States offers condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti."
An Instagram post claimed that former President Trump congratulated Navy SEALs on their "perfect beautiful whack" of the Haitian president.
There is no evidence that Trump said any such thing. There’s also no evidence that Navy SEALs had any role in Moïse’s death, and the post making the claim used doctored headlines.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
New York Times, How Jovenel Moïse Went from Banana Exporter to Haiti's President, July 9, 2021
New York Times, Hours After Haiti’s President Is Assassinated, 4 Suspects Are Killed and 2 Arrested, July 9, 2021
U.S. Department of State, Department Press Briefing - July 7, 2021 - United States Department of State, July 8, 2021
U.S. Department of State, Department Press Briefing - February 5, 2021 - United States Department of State, July 8, 2021
Reuters, Haiti police battle gunmen who killed president, amid fears of chaos, July 8, 2021
New York Times, Haiti Braces for Unrest as a Defiant President Refuses to Step Down, Feb. 7, 2021
New York Times, 2 Americans Arrested in Haiti President's Killing: Live Updates, accessed July 9, 2021
Reuters, Haiti opposition condemns country's slide into rule by decree, Jan. 14, 2020
Email interview, Danielle Rhoades Ha spokesperson for the New York Times, July 9, 2021
Email interview with Navy spokesperson, July 9, 2021
Voice of America News, UN Security Council Expresses Serious Concern About Haiti, Calls for Elections
White House, Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, July 7, 2021
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Jason Asenso
Donald Trump did not congratulate Navy SEALs on Haiti assassination
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.