After President Donald Trump imposed higher tariff rates on goods imported from countries into the United States, a video surfaced on social media showing him being slapped on the back of the head by a man during a speech. The clip quickly went viral, but fact-checking by Fact Crescendo revealed that the footage had been digitally altered.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A 23-second video circulating on social media shows a man slapping U.S. President Donald Trump on the back of the head. The clip is paired with claims that the incident occurred during his time in office.
The video clip has been shared more than 800 times by Khmer-speaking Facebook users. Some viewers took it as a sign of significant public resentment toward the American leader, alleging that he was hit on the head from behind.
A video posted on social media on April 9, 2025, carried the caption: “Leaders lacking virtue, compassion, mercy, and generosity—those who deny aid to the hungry, act as dictators, cut off humanitarian support, and impose heavy taxes on impoverished nations (blood money)—face the dissatisfaction of the American people, who strike them with shoes! This does not elevate America’s standing globally but diminishes its value and respect on the world stage.”
Below is the same video clip that was originally posted on social media a week ago, which has steadily gained attention and has been shared nearly 300 times.
The video clip, recently shared across various social media platforms, has gained even more traction in the past week, continuing to circulate widely.
The video clip was shared on Threads, Meta’s newest social network, which is operated by the same company that owns Facebook.
The following video clip was shared in Hindi on April 9, 2025, via the social network X, previously known as Twitter.
The video clip was shared on YouTube on April 9, 2025, accompanied by an English caption claiming that President Donald Trump was struck on the back of the head by a man while delivering a speech on stage.
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo investigated this claim using Google Reverse Image Search, uncovering the following details.
Using Google Reverse Image Search, we traced the original video, which had been published by prominent American media outlets nine years ago.
A video shared by CNN on YouTube captures Trump responding to a man’s screams as security personnel swiftly move onto the stage to shield him.
The same outlet reported that the incident took place during Trump’s campaign speech at Dayton International Airport in Ohio, as part of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
CNN Video on YouTube | Archived Link
The same news outlet reported that the incident took place on March 12, 2016, during Trump’s campaign in Ohio. It clarified that no individual struck Donald Trump on the back of the head during his speech to the public.
The report from NBC News (archived) quoted a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, stating that a man attempted to trespass at the event site but was promptly detained by security personnel.
Thomas Dimassimo, 32 at the time, faced charges of disorderly conduct and inducing fear after breaching security barriers on his bicycle and attempting to rush onto the stage.
NBC News Video | Archived Link
Presented below is a side-by-side comparison of the altered video that circulated on social media and the original footage from nine years ago, which reveals what truly transpired.
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CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo concluded that the claim described above is altered. The video clip portraying Donald Trump being struck on the back of his head by a man is fabricated. The authentic footage reveals Trump reacting to a man who attempted to break the security during a 2016 presidential campaign rally in Ohio.
