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Viral image
stated on September 8, 2023 in an Instagram post:

Video shows Pope Francis slapping former President Donald Trump’s hand.

False

Did Pope Francis swat then-President Donald Trump’s hand? No, that video is altered

If your time is short

  • This video was altered and originated as part of a comedy skit.
 
See the sources for this fact-check

Then-President Donald Trump met with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2017. 

But a video from that meeting that appears to show the pope batting away Trump’s hand is altered.

In the altered video, shared Sept. 8 on Instagram, the camera zooms in on the two men’s hands as they stand side by side. Trump appears to stroke the pope’s hand with his pinky finger. The pope, meanwhile, appears to slap Trump’s hand. 

The video’s caption was later edited to say, “The end isn’t real,” though it didn’t specify what was or wasn’t authentic.

The 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.)

The original footage of Trump and the pope meeting shows no such hand play. 

That’s because the clip was created in 2017 by “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The comedy show host was making a joke about a moment a few days earlier, when then-first lady Melania Trump appeared to be seen swatting away her husband’s hand after they disembarked from a plane in Israel. 

We rate claims that the video of Pope Francis slapping Trump’s hand is authentic False.

Did Pope Francis swat then-President Donald Trump’s hand? No, that video is altered

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed


Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino