A Facebook post falsely claiming the White House caught fire on Friday has gone viral, sparking confusion and concern across social media.
The post, shared by a page called Today Story around 11 p.m. EDT, stated: “U.S President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Are On The Run as White House is Engulfed in Flames Moments ago, sending thick plumes of smoke into the skies above the nation’s capital. Emergency services are currently on the scene battling the blaze, which appears to have originated in the West Wing around 11:45 AM.”
However, the claim is entirely false. There has been no official statement from the White House or President Donald Trump, and no credible news outlet has reported any such incident. No fire or emergency was reported at the White House on Friday.
Several users quickly pointed out the misinformation in the comments section.
One person wrote, “So since Facebook doesn’t fact check anymore you can now post whatever I see.”
Another commented, “My sources say this is fake news.”
A third person wrote, “I guarantee our phones would be going off if it was true.”
Another wrote, “Stop trying to make fetch happen, it’s not going to happen!”
Another Viral Post
This follows another viral Facebook post from two days earlier, which falsely claimed there was an emergency at the White House after the building’s lights were turned off.
The post read, “Unusual…The White House shut its lights out tonight. What is going on ?!”
The post sparked alarm online, with some users speculating it signaled a potential blackout related to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
One person asked, “Black out coming?”
Another wrote, “Trump told a reporter a few hours ago he is danger. Maybe he’s afraid of a strike?”
However, it is important to note that the White House routinely turns off its exterior lights around 11 p.m., which is a standard practice and not indicative of any emergency.
