FALSE
A viral image purporting to show President Trump's statement responding to Rodrigo Duterte's arrest by the ICC was completely fabricated. No such statement exists in White House records. The image was created to generate engagement and spread false information about U.S.-Philippines relations.
Following the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court, a fabricated image circulated showing what appeared to be an official Trump statement responding to the arrest. The image was designed to look like an official White House statement but was never issued. White House records contain no such statement, and the formatting was inconsistent with actual official communications. The fake spread widely in both U.S. and Philippine social media.
The Fake Image
An image designed to look like an official White House statement circulated widely after Duterte's ICC arrest [1].
The statement contained inflammatory language about the ICC and international courts [2].
Evidence of Fabrication
No such statement exists in White House official records [6].
The formatting was inconsistent with actual official statements [3].
Cross-Border Impact
The fake spread widely in Philippine social media, confusing the public about U.S. policy [7].
Filipino fact-checkers worked with U.S. counterparts to debunk the image [8].
Conclusion
The Trump statement about Duterte's arrest was completely fabricated. No such official statement exists. This case illustrates how fake official documents can spread internationally to influence perception of diplomatic relations.