The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Get PolitiFact in your inbox. * Weekly Email Newsletter * Daily Email Newsletter Your Email Address Sign Up ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on July 14, 2024 in social media posts: Photos show former President Donald Trump golfing after being shot. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * Corrections and Updates * Elections * Facebook Fact-checks * Social Media ![\\"Sara](\\" By Sara Swann July 16, 2024 # No, these photos don’t show Trump golfing after assassination attempt #### If Your Time is short * After the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump returned to his home at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey. * These photos of Trump on a golf course predate the July 13 shooting. See the sources for this fact-check Did former President Donald Trump hit the golf course shortly after a gunman attempted to assassinate him at a July 13 campaign rally? We were not able to get an answer to that question, but we do know some photos circulating that show him on a golf course are not proof that he did. \"Imagine getting shot at 7pm and still making your 9am tee time,\" read text on a July 14 Instagram post that showed a photo of Trump driving a golf cart. This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.) We also saw this photo being shared on X. ![](\\" (Screengrab from Instagram) This photo of Trump playing golf is two years old. A reverse-image search using Google Images found that an Associated Press photographer took the photo in 2022 at Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Virginia. A July 16 Threads post shared another photo that claimed to show Trump golfing after the shooting. But this photo appeared to originate from a YouTube video posted 10 days before the shooting. A shooter opened fire on Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in what the FBI is investigating as an assassination attempt. Trump said a bullet hit the upper part of his right ear before he was escorted offstage and taken to a local hospital for treatment. One person in the audience was killed and two others were injured. The Secret Service said its snipers killed the gunman. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 5, 2024 in a post Video shows Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz dancing to Beyoncé in a cowboy hat and crop top. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 6, 2024 That night, Trump traveled to his home at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. On July 14, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would leave at 3:30 p.m. for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Claims about Trump golfing following the shooting surfaced after Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in a July 14 X post shared — and later retracted — a video that he said showed Trump went golfing \"the next day\" after the shooting. It was tagged with a community note that said the video was not filmed that day, July 14. In an update an hour after his X post, Lee said, \"I’m now told this video was uploaded today but *not* taken today. My bad!\" The TikTok account that posted the video is now private, so the video cannot be publicly viewed. An archived version of TikTok video showed it was published July 14. PolitiFact contacted Trump’s campaign to ask whether Trump played golf during his short stay at the Bedminster golf club, but we did not receive a response by publication. Trump National Golf Club Bedminster was closed July 14, Politico reported. We rate the claim that these photos show Trump golfing after being shot False. **UPDATE, July 16, 2024** : We have updated this fact-check to account for additional social media posts that used outdated photos to claim Trump golfed following his July 13 assassination attempt. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Instagram post (archived version), July 14, 2024 X post, July 14, 2024 X post, July 14, 2024 Sen. Mike Lee, X post, July 14, 2024 Sen. Mike Lee, X post, July 14, 2024 Threads post (archived version), July 16, 2024 Threads post (archived version), July 14, 2024 TikTok video (archived version), July 14, 2024 Reverse-image search using Google Images, July 16, 2024 Donald Trump, Truth Social post, July 13, 2024 Donald Trump, Truth Social post, July 14, 2024 The Associated Press, photo of Donald Trump driving a golf cart at Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Virginia, Sept. 12, 2022 U.S. Secret Service, \"Statement From U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle,\" July 15, 2024 Politico, \"Trump\'s NJ golf club closed,\" July 14, 2024 CBS News Pittsburgh, \"Butler Memorial Hospital applauds quick work of staff to treat Trump after rally shooting,\" July 15, 2024 YouTube, Video of Donald Trump golfing, July 3, 2024 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Sara Swann slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on August 6, 2024 in a post: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill “redefining ‘sexual orientation’ to include pedophiles.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • August 16, 2024 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on August 14, 2024 in a post: Photo from an Aug. 14 campaign event in Michigan shows “JD Vance couldn’t fill a small room.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • August 15, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" JD Vance stated on August 7, 2024 in a speech: “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, do you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • August 9, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 17, 2024 in a post: Photo shows Kamala Harris posing beside Sean “Diddy” Combs. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 19, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Perkins stated on September 11, 2024 in a Facebook post: “In 12 states, children born alive after a failed abortion have no legal protection, and in three more states children born alive after an abortion had legal rights that governors — like Tim Walz — repealed.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 18, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 16, 2024 in a post: “Coca-Cola cuts ties with Taylor Swift over (Kamala) Harris endorsement.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 18, 2024 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on September 15, 2024 in a post: The apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on Sept. 15, 2024, was “staged.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 16, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 10, 2024 in a debate: “As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, for the first time this century.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 11, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 7, 2024 in a post: CNN reported that the Apalachee High School shooting suspect was motivated by a “lack of trans acceptance.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 11, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 5, 2024 in a post: Video shows Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz dancing to Beyoncé in a cowboy hat and crop top. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 6, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on August 31, 2024 in a post: McDonald’s “said they have no record whatsoever of Kamala Harris ever working at any of their locations.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 5, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 29, 2024 in a post: Vice President Kamala Harris was fired from McDonald’s for stealing. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 4, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 26, 2024 in a post: Four government agencies donated nearly $900,000 of taxpayer money to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 3, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 25, 2024 in a post: Kamala Harris’ “plan to tax unrecognized Capital Gains mean(s) if your house goes up in value you will have to pay that Tax Even if you don’t sell your House!” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • August 30, 2024 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 19, 2024 in a post: Kamala Harris has adopted the Nazi-rooted phrase “Strength Through Joy” as her campaign slogan. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • August 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on August 6, 2024 in a post: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill “redefining ‘sexual orientation’ to include pedophiles.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • August 16, 2024 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on August 14, 2024 in a post: Photo from an Aug. 14 campaign event in Michigan shows “JD Vance couldn’t fill a small room.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • August 15, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" JD Vance stated on August 7, 2024 in a speech: “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, do you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • August 9, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 17, 2024 in a post: Photo shows Kamala Harris posing beside Sean “Diddy” Combs. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 19, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Perkins stated on September 11, 2024 in a Facebook post: “In 12 states, children born alive after a failed abortion have no legal protection, and in three more states children born alive after an abortion had legal rights that governors — like Tim Walz — repealed.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 18, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 16, 2024 in a post: “Coca-Cola cuts ties with Taylor Swift over (Kamala) Harris endorsement.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 18, 2024 ### No, these photos don’t show Trump golfing after assassination attempt * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 29, 2024 in an Instagram post: “Video shows Kamala (Harris) responding to someone talking through her earrings that she allegedly wore during the Trump vs. Harris debate.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Elissa Slotkin stated on September 30, 2024 in a Meta ad: U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers “believes he should make that decision” about whether to end pregnancies. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Caleb McCullough • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 27, 2024 in an ad: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester “voted to give taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 26, 2024 in an Instagram post: “Kamala involved in P-Diddy’s rapes and assaults.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 10, 2024 in the ABC News presidential debate: “Donald Trump said he was going to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. He never did. We did.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Jacob Gardenswartz • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 28, 2024 in an X post: Video shows “the bunker-busting bombs that ended the lives of (Hassan) Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s leadership.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 29, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 27, 2024 in a video: Shows video of damage from Hurricane Helene. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 28, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on September 22, 2024 in una publicación enTikTok: En el sur de Filadelfia, la campaña de Kamala Harris “está pagando a la gente $700 por semana para viajar y asistir a todos sus eventos”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • September 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 25, 2024 in an Instagram post: Hurricane Helene was the product of intentional weather modification. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 25, 2024 in a post: Video shows footage of Hurricane Helene ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • September 27, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. Become a member! In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts. Sign me up #### Offices District of Columbia 1800 I Street NW Washington, DC 20006 Florida 801 3rd St. S St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-9494 #### People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis #### State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin #### About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters #### RSS Feeds * Recent Articles and Fact-checks * Recent Fact-checks Suggest a Fact-check #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Copyright ©All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2020, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ![\\"\\"](\\" ✕ * * *
Photos show former President Donald Trump golfing after being shot