Donald Trump shares doctored footage of King Charles to falsely suggest he ignored fainting Asda worker
Donald Trump shared a doctored video clip on his Truth Social account appearing to show King Charles ignoring an Asda worker who fainted during a 2020 visit, in what seems to be an attempt to portray Trump as more caring by comparison. The edited footage cuts away before showing that Charles actually tried to catch the collapsing employee, stayed close to him while he received medical attention, and continued speaking with him afterwards, with the worker later thanking the King for his concern.
The three-minute montage, posted on US Labour Day, was captioned as showing "the side of Trump the media doesn't show you" and also cast Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Emmanuel Macron in an unflattering light, contrasted with clips of Trump honouring soldiers and comforting his wife. It is unclear whether Trump was aware the King Charles footage had been altered; he has repeatedly described himself as a friend of the Royal Family and recently praised his relationship with Charles while criticising Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's conduct towards the monarchy.
- Trump posted edited footage misrepresenting King Charles's reaction to a fainting worker
- Original video shows Charles caught the man and stayed to help
- Montage also unfairly portrayed Biden, Obama and Macron negatively
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Trump's decision to publish a doctored clip of King Charles fits into a longer pattern in which the US president has used his personal Truth Social account to share edited or misleading videos, often aimed at contrasting himself favourably with other world leaders. The footage in question relates to a 2020 visit by Charles, then Prince of Wales, to an Asda store, during which a worker fainted; the original recording shows Charles moving towards the employee and staying involved as help arrived.
The clip's authenticity matters because Trump has frequently spoken of his warm relationship with the Royal Family, including King Charles, and has drawn contrasts with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their treatment of the monarchy. A doctored video appearing to show the King behaving coldly toward a member of the public sits at odds with that stated friendship, raising questions about how the footage came to be shared and whether its origin was known.
The wider story also touches on how doctored or selectively edited video can shape public perception of politicians and royals alike, especially when shared by a figure with as large a following as Trump. The same Truth Social post included unflattering material about other leaders, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Emmanuel Macron, set against footage intended to present Trump in a positive light.