Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

Ciara O'Rourke
By Ciara O'Rourke November 5, 2024

Photo of Donald Trump looking toward Melania Trump as they voted in New York is from 2016, not 2024

Read in Español

If Your Time is short

  • This image is from 2016, when former President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump cast ballots on Election Day in New York City. 

Former President Donald Trump is expected to vote on Election Day, which means an image that was spreading online ahead of that day showing him casting a ballot wasn’t taken this fall, though some social media users believe otherwise.

"He can’t even trust his wife," a Nov. 1 Instagram post said, sharing an image of a CNN broadcast that shows Trump appearing to look over at his wife Melania Trump’s ballot. 

"Breaking news," the CNN chyron said. "Trump casts vote in presidential race." 

Text in the upper corner says "New York."

"Melania voted for Harris," someone commented on the post. 

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

"Nobody has to know, Melania," someone else said.

The Instagram 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, Instagram and Threads.)

The image is from Nov. 8, 2016 — Election Day eight years ago — when the Trumps voted in New York City. 

They were then registered to vote in New York. But Trump’s home state is now Florida, and that’s where he’s registered to vote in the 2024 presidential election. 

Featured Fact-check

He previously said he would vote early, but he’s now expected to cast a ballot Nov. 5 in Palm Beach.

Trump recently criticized an ad from Vote Common Good, an organization that supports progressive candidates, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. 

The ad, narrated by actor Julia Roberts, shows a woman casting a ballot for Harris, and suggests her husband cast one for Trump, the Republican presidential nominee. 

"Remember," Roberts says in the ad. "What happens in the booth, stays in the booth." 

We rate claims this image shows the Trumps voting in the 2024 presidential election in New York City False.

 

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Ciara O'Rourke

Photo of Donald Trump looking toward Melania Trump as they voted in New York is from 2016, not 2024

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up