A photograph widely shared online in June 2026 purportedly showed U.S. President Donald Trump sitting on a black towel during a recent Fox News interview. The image sparked speculation that the network had placed a mat beneath him due to alleged incontinence issues.
However, this claim is miscaptioned. The photograph originated from an interview Trump gave to “Fox & Friends” in October 2024. Original video footage from that appearance reveals that the dark material seen on the white couch was not a towel or mat, but rather the lower portion of Trump’s dark blue suit jacket. Versions of the photo that circulated in 2026 had their colors altered, making the fabric appear as a distinct black object.
A review of the original “Fox & Friends” broadcast from October 18, 2024, confirms that Trump was seated on the couch without any additional item placed beneath him. When he sat down, the material spread out on either side was clearly his own jacket.
The “towel” rumor first surfaced around the time of the interview’s original airing in October 2024. Journalists and fact-checkers at the time, including Lead Stories and PolitiFact, debunked the claim, with Fox News itself confirming that the fabric was Trump’s jacket.
Further investigation into the 2026 versions of the image revealed that color alterations may have contributed to the misconception, making the dark blue fabric of Trump’s jacket appear black and thus more easily mistaken for a separate item.
This incident is not the first time ambiguous or manipulated media has been used to spread unsubstantiated rumors about Trump’s physical well-being. Similar claims involving alleged bodily function incidents have circulated previously, all of which lacked credible evidence.
Reference