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Fact check: Video of Donald Trump and Pope Francis from 2017 visit deceptively edited

Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY
·3 min read

The claim: A video shows Pope Francis slapping Donald Trump's hand

Former President Donald Trump met Pope Francis for the first time in 2017 at Vatican City. The two had previously feuded, with Francis criticizing Trump's remarks about migrants as "not Christian," but they temporarily put aside their differences for a meeting and photo op.

Some social media users are sharing a video that appears to show an awkward interaction between the two during the meeting.

The clip, which was shared on Facebook on Sept. 12, shows Trump and Francis posing for pictures together. The video then shows a closeup of where Trump's hand appears to poke the pope's hand with one of his fingers, causing the pope to slap Trump's hand away. The video includes a CNN logo in the bottom right-hand corner.

"Never forget when Trump did this to pope (sic)," reads text above the clip. "He was different."

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The post generated over 200 shares in less than a week.

But the purported video is altered.

A CNN spokesperson told USA TODAY the outlet never aired such a clip. It was created and aired as part of a comedic skit by "Jimmy Kimmel Live," a late-night talk show.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.

CNN clip is fabricated

The Facebook clip is fabricated and was never broadcast by CNN, Sydney Baldwin, the company’s spokesperson, told USA TODAY in an email.

The original CNN footage shows Trump and Pope Francis posing for pictures, but it does not zoom in on their hands. There is also a breaking news banner at the bottom of the actual clip that reads “U.S. President Trump meets Pope Francis.”

The same scene of the men posing for pictures together was aired on NBC and C-SPAN. None of the footage shows the pope slapping Trump's hand.

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The video included in the Facebook post originates from a May 2017 episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel. The hand-touching scene was created and edited into the footage of the two men posing as part of a comedic skit.

Rachel Villegas, the show’s spokesperson, confirmed the altered clip originated with the show.

Lead Stories and Check Your Fact also debunked this claim.

Our rating: Altered

Based on our research, we rate ALTERED a video that purports to show Francis slapping Trump's hand. A CNN spokesperson said the outlet never aired such a clip. It was created by "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Altered video of Trump and the pope circulates