The viral image emerged while the crew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln prepared for their return.
WASHINGTON, DC: Social media users have been sharing a screenshot purportedly showing Donald Trump praising military meals alongside an AI-generated picture of a sailor with six fingers eating a burger. While the post gained widespread traction and convinced several users, others remained doubtful, prompting calls for verification.
The Claim: Trump Shared an AI-Generated Image of a Six-Fingered Sailor
Last month, a screenshot began circulating online, claiming to display a message directly from the president’s verified Truth Social account.
The fabricated post featured an image of a navy sailor with an extra finger biting into a burger, paired with the caption: “OUR MILITARY EATS THE BEST! Nobody feeds our brave troops better than me. The food is AMAZING – -the best military food EVER! Other countries wish they could feed their soldiers this well. TOTAL WIN!”
The image quickly made the rounds across platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Bluesky, accumulating millions of views.
Fact Check: The Post is Completely Fabricated
Evidence shows the screenshot is entirely fake. No such post exists on any of the president’s official social media profiles.
A thorough review of his official Truth Social feed, alongside third-party archives that automatically track and save his posts, reveals no record of the message. Furthermore, searches across major news outlets found no reports of such a post being published and subsequently deleted—an event that would have drawn significant media attention given ongoing discussions regarding conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Controversy Surrounds USS Abraham Lincoln Deployment
The fake post emerged just as sailors and Marines aboard the aircraft carrier were preparing to wrap up a grueling deployment lasting more than 270 days at sea.
Trump previously sparked criticism after dismissing mental health concerns raised by the ship’s crew, remarking that the extended tour was “not nearly long enough” before adding that another vessel would soon take its place.
Having been deployed since November, the carrier has spent upwards of 250 days supporting operations in the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, pushing the mission far beyond the initial timeline expected by the crew and their families.