NEW YORK: A recent online claim suggesting that former President Donald Trump purchased a handgun during his visit to a gun store in South Carolina has been debunked by credible sources to FactCheck.org. The misinformation stemmed from a video shared on Instagram, which captured Trump expressing his interest in a Glock 19 handgun engraved with his image and the words “Trump 45th.”
The video, which circulated widely online, prompted misleading headlines suggesting that Trump had indeed made the purchase. However, the Trump campaign promptly clarified the situation.
A spokesperson, Steven Cheung, initially posted on X that Trump had bought the gun. Later, Cheung deleted the post, and the Trump campaign released a statement refuting the claim. “President Donald Trump did not purchase or take possession of the handgun. He simply indicated that he wanted one,” the campaign asserted.
Trump’s Legal Situation
Furthermore, federal law prohibits individuals under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year from purchasing firearms or ammunition. Given Trump’s legal situation involving multiple indictments, it would have been unlawful for the gun store to sell him the handgun.
A news article from the Post and Courier, published on September 25, corroborated the campaign’s statement, confirming that Trump did not fill out the necessary paperwork required to buy a firearm during his visit to the gun store in South Carolina.
In light of these facts, the claim that Trump purchased a handgun during his South Carolina visit has been debunked, highlighting the importance of fact-checking in the era of online misinformation.
