An image shared on Twitter purportedly shows Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. smiling.
Cocaine? What cocaine? pic.twitter.com/dlPPussul4
— Mister Race Bannon (@MrRaceBannon) April 13, 2022
Verdict: False
The photo has been digitally altered. The original shows the two men with natural, unexaggerated facial expressions.
Fact Check:
The Twitter image appears to show Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. posing for a photo together with abnormally large eyes and wide grins. “Cocaine? What cocaine?” the post’s caption claims, alluding to the brothers’ unnatural facial expressions.
The image is digitally edited. A reverse image search revealed the original picture was taken by Getty Images photographer Grant Lamos in 2015. The unaltered picture shows Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. posing for a picture together during an event in New York. Their facial expressions notably appear normal.
“Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump attend the 9th Annual Eric Trump Foundation Golf Invitational Auction & Dinner at Trump National Golf Club Westchester on September 21, 2015 in Briarcliff Manor, New York,” the image’s caption reads.
The unaltered picture has been included in numerous articles throughout the years, including those published by the New Zealand Herald, Forbes and Business Insider. (RELATED: Did Trump Point To A Sign That Says, ‘No Matter Who Is President Jesus Is Still King’?)
This is not the first time Eric Trump has been the target of a photoshopped image. In October 2021, Check Your Fact debunked a viral image that appeared to show him holding a shovel upside-down while posing with his family.