Photo of crashed 'Trump train' truck is altered, dates back to 2015 | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The claim: Image shows 'Trump train' truck crashed into bridge

An Aug. 5 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows a semitruck bearing the phrase "All aboard the Trump train" crashed into a bridge underpass.

"It's a metaphor," reads the post's caption.

The post garnered more than 600 likes in 10 days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Threads and X, formerly Twitter.

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Our rating: Altered

The text on the truck has been digitally edited. The original photo, taken in 2015, shows the phrase "On the road to success, there are no shortcuts" on the side of the truck.

'Trump train' message edited onto dated crash photo

The original photo of the crashed truck was published in a 2015 article by a local New York outlet called theLoop. In the photo, the message on the side of the truck reads, "On the road to success, there are no shortcuts." The article features several photos of the truck taken from different angles, a few of which also show the phrase.

The truck had crashed into a bridge at an underpass in Mamaroneck, New York, according to the article.

Polly Kreisman, theLoop's editor, confirmed to USA TODAY that the Threads post shows an altered version of the outlet's photo.

Fact check: Picture of Hitler raising fist altered to resemble photo of Trump

The truck shown in the article also bears the logo of Shaffer Trucking, a division of the trucking company Crete Carrier Corp.

Dave Snitily, a spokesperson for Crete Carrier, told USA TODAY, "It is definitely an altered/fake photo as there isn’t any political advertising on any of our tractors or trailers."

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Reuters also debunked the claim. PolitiFact debunked it in 2022.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Viral 'Trump train' truck photo is altered | Fact check

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