Donald Trump’s marriage to Melania made headlines this week after a story about Senator Mitt Romney alleged that the former president bragged about his goal of “disappointing” his then-girlfriend, now wife.
Trump’s team responded to the book’s claims, calling Romney a “loser” who “created false stories that were even relevant. “
However, the secrets of their marriage weren’t the only horror story on the Trumps’ doorstep this week, with Melania rumored to have exorcised the White House when she was First Lady.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, via user @pope_head, published on October 19, 2023, viewed 115,500 times, read: “Apparently, Melania Trump asked a Maronite priest to exorcise the White House lmao. “
The post included a photo of Donald Trump’s status next to a priest.
The Facts
Although official figures are available, several reports from the past decade attest to an increase in the number of exorcisms performed in the United States and around the world.
Last year, a survey of 120 Italian exorcists conducted through a Vatican-approved University of Rome found that they were being beaten by a growing number of “possessed” people, with one researcher saying some exorcists seeing between 30 and 50 cases per day.
However, the claim that Melania Trump hired one is not true.
The rumor has been circulating for several years and has been continuously denied. According to the Associated Press and repeated in other reports, Indiana pastor Paul Begley claimed that Melania had said she would refuse to move into the White House until she was exorcised.
Begley made the comments on a web radio show in 2018, claiming that “demonic” elements had been removed and anointing oil had been used. However, Begley failed to provide verifiable evidence to back up his claim, an investigation conducted through fact-checking site Snopes revealed. .
A spokesperson for the First Lady said in 2018 that claims shared on social media were “not true. “
Newsweek reached out to a representative for Donald Trump’s email for comment.
The photo shared on Facebook is of Donald Trump with Father André Mahanna, a Maronite pastor who also attended a Donald Trump rally in 2016. There is no evidence that he performed an exorcism.
The Decision
FALSE.
The rumor that Melania Trump had the White House exorcised has been circulating for several years. This claim was based on an interview with a pastor who made this claim without any verifiable evidence. A spokesperson for the former first child said the claims were absolutely false.
FACT-CHECKING BY Newsweek’s fact-checking team
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