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← All fact checksAfternoon run · October 31, 2026 · #10 by reach
PoliticsEconomyFabricated quote or document

Did Trump post on Truth Social that he shouldn't have bought Intel stock?

Did Trump post on Truth Social that he regretted the US buying Intel shares after Intel's stock fell about 29% on 30 Oct 2026, as a viral screenshot shows?

False

The Intel stock crash was real; the presidential post about it never existed.

False. The image of a Donald Trump Truth Social post complaining that he "shouldn't have bought Intel" is a fabricated mock-up, not a real post. No such message exists on Trump's @realDonaldTrump account or in archived records of his posts, and a fact-check rated it fabricated. The Intel crash it references did happen: shares closed down 28.58% on 30 October 2026.

+3Sources ↓Original post ↗
Edited
The post as it circulated, labelled by our media check.Image

Claims

✓ 1 true · ✕ 1 false

Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on 30 October 2026 that he shouldn't have bought Intel, calling it "a piece of shit stock that went down 30% today in one candle" and a "Total disgrace!"1

“I shouldn't have bought Intel. It's a piece of shit stock that went down 30% today in one candle... Total disgrace!”

✕ FalseCentral claimHigh confidence

This is settled by a simple question with a clear answer: did that post exist? It does not. Nothing matching the quoted text appears on Trump's @realDonaldTrump account or in archived records of his Truth Social activity, and a fact-check published the same day concluded the screenshot was manufactured. The image also fails on its own terms: the avatar beside Trump's name and handle is a well-known photograph of Barack Obama in American-flag face paint, not Trump's profile picture. The wording — "piece of shit stock", "one candle", "even worse than my coin", "Total disgrace!" — reads as parody, not as how a presidential account posts. The news value cuts the same way. A sitting president saying he personally bought Intel and lost about 30% in a day would be covered by every financial and political outlet within minutes. We found only the screenshot and reposts of it. One fact-check is a single source, so we treat it as a pointer, not the whole case; the absence of the post itself and the Obama avatar decide it.

Still open: The original maker of the mock-up graphic is not established in the material we reviewed.

Intel stock fell about 30% in a single trading session2345

“It's a piece of shit stock that went down 30% today in one candle”

✓ TrueHigh confidence

The market event behind the fake post is real and unusually well documented. On Friday 30 October 2026 Intel closed at $65.76, down 28.58%, after intraday losses that briefly reached about 30%. Outlets in several countries covered it as Intel's worst single day in roughly 50 years. The trigger was forward-looking: the company guided fourth-quarter revenue to $15–16 billion against expectations of about $17 billion, and the drop came inside a wider technology selloff in which AMD, Qualcomm, Nvidia and others also fell. Barron's, Yonhap Infomax, Taiwan's Central News Agency and Mint are not independent of each other in the strict sense — they are all reporting the same closing prices — but closing prices are a public record, so the agreement is expected rather than impressive. The number itself is the evidence, and it checks out. This matters because it is exactly the true detail that made the fake post believable.

The Intel decline was "even worse than my coin" — the Official Trump memecoin1

“even worse than my coin”

– UnverifiableLow confidence

There is no real statement here to check. The sentence sits inside a fabricated post, so there is no genuine speaker and no genuine comparison to test. Even setting that aside, the comparison has no single answer. Reporting cited in our material indicates the TRUMP memecoin had fallen roughly 97–98% from its peak by late October 2026, trading near $1.55 — a far larger total decline than Intel's one-day move. Intel's single-session loss, by contrast, was historic in its own right. So whichever way the comparison is drawn, it measures different things: a cumulative collapse against a one-day crash. We keep this separate from the main finding so the false verdict rests on the fabricated post, not on the memecoin arithmetic.

Still open: Which measure — peak-to-trough or single session — the phrase was meant to invoke cannot be settled because the post is not real.

What was posted

X

A user on X posted an image made to look like a Truth Social post from Donald Trump's @realDonaldTrump account, time-stamped 10/30/26, 2:15 PM. The typeset message says Trump regrets buying Intel stock and calls it a disgrace. The post carries only the caption "Someone's getting fired" and no satire or AI label, so readers are left to take the screenshot as a real presidential post.

“Someone’s getting fired”

Posted on X by the account @alifarhat79, display name "Not Jerome Powell", on the same day as the Intel selloff. The account name itself plays on a public financial figure.

Who posted it

X
@alifarhat79

Account 16.8 years old

View the account on X ↗

Account check

Looks like a genuine account18%
Likelihood of automation22%

Estimates from public signals — account age, posting pattern, audience — not a judgement of the person behind the account, and separate from whether this post is true.

What stood out

  • Handle resolves to 'Not Jerome Powell' (@alifarhat79), a long-running finance/AI meme and parody account (~2.1M followers, joined X/Twitter January 2010).
  • X applies a 'parody account' (戏仿账号) label to the profile, and the bio itself states: 'Not associated with the Federal Reserve. Financial Parody and sarcasm... Not investment advice. DM for promos' — it does not present itself as a news source.
  • It is nonetheless a documented origin of viral fake/AI content: Check Your Fact (Feb 2025) and a Daily Caller fact check traced a fabricated Jim Cramer 'Bitcoin is dead' tweet to this account, and X community notes flagged the image as fake.
  • Other documented cases: AI-generated 'baby Elon Musk' image (June 2023) posted with a 'BREAKING:' framing that went viral and was covered by NY Post/Times of India; AI image of Hillary Clinton placed in DOJ Epstein CCTV footage (July 2025, Know Your Meme); AI images of Bill Clinton/Epstein-era scenes.
  • Cadence is very high for a human meme account — roughly 18–19 posts/day, ~96% image/video, active ~100% of days, peak 14:00 UTC — but the pattern (memes, quotes of crypto accounts, recurring #findthemoney/#tron tags) is consistent with a single operator or small team, not a coordinated bot network.
  • Monetisation/pro-mo signals present: 'DM for promos', newsletter and crypto-adjacent promotional posts, tracked investment 'calls' — an incentive to post engagement-optimised, often fabricated, visuals.
  • Follower growth is organic-looking but spiky (+72K in a single day in July 2026, −12.6K over the last 7 days), typical of virality rather than purchased followers.
  • Profile metadata supplied in the request is essentially empty (no bio, no follower count, no creation date), so grading relies on web-derived identity; no evidence links the account to a named journalist or organisation.
Signals (12)+
Resolved identity
Not Jerome Powell (finance/AI meme & parody account)
Account created
2010-01
Followers estimate
2070000
Platform verification
No
Self labelled parody
Yes
Platform parody label
Yes
Posting cadence per day
18.5
Media post share
0.96
Link out share
0.06
Engagement rate per follower
0
Follower ratio
3100:1 (following:follower inverted — very low following count)
Notable news coverage
NY Post, Times of India, Business Insider (via Vietnamese/Israeli outlets), Know Your Meme, IBTimes

Account checked October 31, 2026, 15:08 UTC

The media

Image
EditedPresented as real footage· The claim depends on it

✓ What is genuine

The Obama face-paint photograph used as the avatar is a real, well-known image, and the Intel price crash the post leans on is a genuine market event.

The tells

  • ●●● Strong signal The avatar beside the @realDonaldTrump name and handle is a photograph of Barack Obama with American-flag face paint, not Trump's profile picture.our visual review
  • ●●○ Supporting signal The wording — "piece of shit stock", "one candle", "even worse than my coin", "Total disgrace!" — is parody diction, not the register of the @realDonaldTrump account.our visual review
  • ●○○ Weak signal The graphic is composed typeset text over a real photograph rather than a capture of a live interface; our detector scored it 0.27 for AI generation, which is inconclusive either way and does not settle the question.our detector

Synthetic-media detector

Detector ran

The claim stands or falls on whether the media is real, so the detector ran.

AI-generated likelihood27%
Deepfake likelihood0%

Scores are the detector’s estimate for the file as uploaded. A low score does not rule out editing, a spliced caption, or footage shown out of context — those are judged above. Model v3.

How we checked the media

  • Reviewed the image visually for internal inconsistencies between the account name, handle and avatar.
  • Compared the quoted text and date stamp against Trump's account and archived records of his Truth Social posts via our searches.
  • Ran our AI-image detector on the graphic to see whether it showed signs of generative synthesis.
  • Reviewed the same-day fact-check of the screenshot (source 1).

Sources

6 sources reviewed

Further reading

  • 1MEAWW The same-day fact-check that concluded the Trump/Intel screenshot was fabricated.
  • 2Barron's Financial reporting that establishes the real Intel crash the fake post leaned on.
  • 5Mint Shows the Intel plunge was part of a wider chip-stock selloff, not a one-stock story.

The full story

The engine of this story is real, and that is why it travelled. On Friday 30 October 2026, Intel shares collapsed. The chipmaker had guided fourth-quarter revenue to $15–16 billion against expectations of roughly $17 billion, and the stock closed at $65.76, down 28.58%, after intraday losses that briefly touched about 30%. Barron's, Yonhap Infomax, Taiwan's Central News Agency and Mint all described it as Intel's worst single day in about 50 years. It was not an isolated shock: AMD, Qualcomm, Nvidia and Broadcom slid too, in a broad technology selloff.

That is the backdrop against which a screenshot appeared on X, posted by the account "Not Jerome Powell", showing what looked like a Truth Social post from Trump's @realDonaldTrump account. The message had the president lamenting a personal Intel purchase and comparing the loss to his memecoin. The numbers in it were roughly right, which is what makes the image feel credible at a glance.

But the post does not exist. Nothing matching it appears on Trump's account or in archived records of his posts, and the avatar in the mock-up is a photograph of Barack Obama, not Trump. The caption "Someone's getting fired" supplies the joke the screenshot is built around. So the strong version — the stock crash — is true; the personal presidential comment attached to it is invented.

Kernel of truth

Intel really did fall about 29% on 30 October 2026, its worst session in roughly 50 years, on weak fourth-quarter guidance.

Timeline

  1. October 30, 2026

    Intel shares close at $65.76, down 28.58%, after weak fourth-quarter guidance and a broad tech selloff — its worst single day in about 50 years. 2Barron's

  2. October 30, 2026

    An X account posts a fabricated Truth Social screenshot in which Trump complains about buying Intel; it spreads the same day. 6Threads

  3. October 30, 2026

    A fact-check published the same day concludes the Trump/Intel screenshot is fabricated. 1MEAWW

How it was framed

Fabricated contentImposter content

The screenshot is a composed fake made to look like a genuine Truth Social post from Trump's account, borrowing the president's name and handle to put words in his mouth. The underlying market crash is real, but nothing in the quoted post is.

  • “Visual proof”. The post is a screenshot styled as a Truth Social interface, with Trump's name, handle and a date and time stamp, inviting readers to treat it as a captured post.
  • Emotional language. Phrases like "piece of shit stock" and "Total disgrace!" are built to sound like an outburst rather than a statement.
  • Missing context. The image carries no label saying it is satire, a mock-up or AI-generated, so the joke frame is stripped away.

Posted on X by @alifarhat79, display name "Not Jerome Powell", with the caption "Someone's getting fired". The material we reviewed gives no posting history or follower details for the account.

Bias

NoneSlightModerateStrong

Leans anti-Trump / satirical. The image is a satirical fabrication mocking Trump over his stock-market boosterism and the government's Intel stake, circulated by a parody-styled account ('Not Jerome Powell') with the caption 'Someone's getting fired.' The slant is directed at Trump rather than at a policy debate, but it is presented as a real post rather than openly labelled satire.

Bias describes how the post frames its message — the slant of the language, selection and emphasis — and is judged separately from whether the claim is true. A true claim can still be framed with a strong slant.

How we checked

51 s
  1. 1

    Searched for coverage of the Intel stock plunge of 30 October 2026 to establish whether the market event was real.

  2. 2

    Searched for the exact quoted phrase and for any record of a Trump Truth Social post about buying Intel.

  3. 3

    Searched for fact-checks published about the Trump/Intel screenshot.

  4. 4

    Reviewed the image visually, including the account avatar, handle and wording.

  5. 5

    Ran an AI-image detector on the graphic to look for signs of generative synthesis.

✓ Claim checked✓ Media checked✓ Sources checked

Why 80% confidence

High

HIGH on the main claim because two independent lines of evidence point the same way: the post is absent from Trump's account and archived posts, and the image contains an internal contradiction (the Obama avatar) that no genuine post could carry. A fact-check published the same day supports this, and the absence of any coverage of a statement that would otherwise dominate financial news reinforces it. We stop short of absolute certainty only because we did not retrieve a live archive page ourselves in this pass.

Limits. We did not open or retrieve the source pages in this pass, so our account of them rests on the recorded snippets and searches. The detector was run and returned an inconclusive AI-generation score, so our media assessment rests primarily on visual review and the source material rather than on that number.

What we don’t know

  • Who first created the mock-up graphic, and whether any later version carried a satire label.
  • Whether the X account that posted it typically posts jokes or was passing the image off as genuine.
  • How far the image spread beyond the account and the Threads post that debunked it.

Spot it yourself

Spot the fake

Looks suspicious, isn’t proof

  • The account name "Not Jerome Powell" signals a playful or meme account, but a joke username does not make a screenshot fake on its own — real breaking news sometimes surfaces first from odd accounts.
  • The crude language and "Total disgrace!" feels plausible enough for some readers to doubt it, but tone is a reason to check, not proof — politicians do sometimes speak bluntly.
  • The image looks clean and well made. High production quality is not evidence of anything; a mock-up and a real capture can both be crisp.

The actual evidence

  • The avatar in the image is a photograph of Barack Obama with flag face paint, next to Trump's name and handle — an internal contradiction that no genuine account would produce.
  • No post matching the quoted text exists on Trump's @realDonaldTrump account or in archived records of his Truth Social activity.
  • A same-day fact-check concluded the screenshot was fabricated.
  • A sitting president saying he had personally bought Intel and lost about 30% would be blanket news; no outlet reported such a statement.
  1. 1

    Look for internal contradictions in the screenshot itself

    Check the avatar, the handle, the timestamp format and the spelling of the account name against the real account. Fakes often get one detail wrong even when the rest looks right.

  2. 2

    Ask whether the quote exists anywhere else

    Search the exact phrase in quotation marks. A genuine presidential post would be quoted, embedded and reported by many outlets within minutes.

  3. 3

    Check the platform's own record

    Go to the named account or an archive of its posts and look at what actually went out around that date and time.

  4. 4

    Ask who would be reporting this if it were true

    If the claim would be huge financial news, look for financial reporters covering it — not just reposts of the same image.

  5. 5

    Treat the true backdrop separately from the fake quote

    Verify the stock move (easy, because closing prices are public) and then verify the quote on its own. A real crash does not make the attached statement real.

Takeaway

A fabricated quote gets much further when it is wrapped around a true, checkable event. Confirm the event, then confirm the words — as two separate questions.

Questions people ask

Did Trump really post about Intel on Truth Social?+

No. No post matching the quoted text exists on Trump's @realDonaldTrump account or in archived records of his posts, and a fact-check published on 30 October 2026 concluded the screenshot was fabricated. The image also uses a photo of Barack Obama as the account avatar.

Did Intel stock actually fall 30%?+

Yes. On 30 October 2026 Intel closed at $65.76, down 28.58%, after intraday losses that reached about 30%. The drop followed fourth-quarter guidance of $15–16 billion against expectations of about $17 billion, and outlets described it as Intel's worst day in roughly 50 years.

Why did people believe the fake post?+

Because the crash it described was real. Intel really did have a terrible day, so a screenshot full of roughly accurate numbers felt like a natural addition to the story. The invented part was the claim that the president had personally bought the stock and complained about it.

How can I tell a real Truth Social screenshot from a fake one?+

Check the avatar, handle and timestamp against the real account. Search the exact quote to see whether any outlet has reported it. If it would be major news, look for major news coverage, not just reposts of the same image. Real screenshots also usually appear with visible surrounding interface or a link.

What kind of misinformation is this?+

It is fabricated content that also impersonates a genuine source. The post was manufactured to look like a real Truth Social message from Trump's account. Because the underlying market event was true, it is easy to mistake the whole image for accurate.

Go deeper

Truth Social
A social media platform launched by Trump Media & Technology Group where Donald Trump posts under the handle @realDonaldTrump.
Mock-up
A composed image made to imitate a real interface or document, often using real photos and typeset text.
Candle
Trading shorthand for the bar on a price chart that shows a stock's open, close, high and low for a period; 'in one candle' means within a single session.
Kernel of truth
The real fact that a false claim is built around, which makes the false parts feel credible.
Memecoin
A cryptocurrency that started as an internet joke or brand tie-in and trades mainly on attention rather than on a business.

People also search for

Trump Truth Social "I shouldn't have bought Intel"Trump Intel stock Truth Social post fake screenshot"piece of shit stock" Trump Intel Truth SocialTrump post Intel 30% crash one candle川普 英特爾 股票 Truth Social 假截圖
For educators+
Fabricated content and imposter content in the misinformation taxonomyThe 'kernel of truth' effect: why accurate details make a false claim more believableVerification through absence of expected coverageLateral reading — checking the account, the archive and other outlets
  • If the stock move in the screenshot is accurate, does that make the post less false? Why or why not?
  • What would you expect to see in the news if a head of state really said he had lost 30% on a personal stock trade?
  • The avatar in the screenshot was a real photo of a different person. What does that detail tell you about how the image was made?

About this check

Platform
X
Posted by
@alifarhat79
Posted
October 30, 2026
Age when checked
Under 24 hours old when checked
Where it spread
United States
Audience
US audience
Language
EN
Status
● Post is live
Verified
October 31, 2026, 15:09 UTC
Published
October 31, 2026, 15:09 UTC

Reach. 3.1K likes, 133 replies; Intel's 29% drop on 30 Oct is real (Forbes)

This verdict was generated with AI from the sources shown. AI can make mistakes — check the sources before relying on it.

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