Fact check: Donald trump is rumoured to wear diapers

1. Summary of the results

The claim about Donald Trump wearing diapers is demonstrably false and stems from manipulated media and satirical content that was later shared as genuine. Specifically:

• A widely circulated image purporting to show Trump in a diaper was proven to be a digital manipulation, combining Trump's head from a 1991 photograph with another body ^[1]
• A fake screenshot attributed to Bob Woodward claiming Trump uses Depends was fabricated, with no such post ever appearing on Woodward's actual account ^[2]
• Reuters has explicitly labeled this claim as "Pants on Fire!" - their strongest designation for false information ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

This rumor exists within a broader context:

• It's part of a larger pattern of misinformation during the 2024 election cycle targeting politicians' personal attributes ^[4]
• The original satirical content was created by a parody account but was later shared without proper satire labeling, leading to widespread misinformation ^[3]
• Technical analysis of the circulated images revealed clear signs of manipulation, including mismatched shadows and incorrect facial positioning ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

Several factors contribute to the spread of this misinformation:

• Social media platforms' tendency to rapidly spread sensational claims about public figures without fact-checking ^[4]
• The deliberate removal of satire labels when sharing parody content, transforming humor into perceived fact ^[3]
• The broader pattern of using manipulated images and videos claiming to show politicians in compromising situations, which serves to delegitimize political opponents through personal attacks rather than policy criticism ^[4]

This type of misinformation benefits:

• Political opponents looking to embarrass or discredit Trump
• Social media engagement farmers who profit from viral content regardless of its veracity
• Parody accounts and satirical content creators whose work gets misappropriated for political purposes