Fake Trump post on tariffs, Carney and Epstein circulates online

"I Donald Trump am announcing that I will drop all tarriffs against Canada if Governor Mark Carney comes clean with regards to his many trips to Epsteins Island and his money laundering," Trump is quoted as saying in the apparent screenshot of his Truth Social account, which was shared to Facebook on February 2, 2026.

Image

Screenshot of a Facebook post taken February 4, 2026

The image spread widely on Facebook, particularly in groups opposing the Canadian prime minister, as well as on Instagram.

The posts emerged as the US Justice Department released more than three million files related to the investigation into the disgraced financier, including his links to high-profile figures. 

AFP's review of the files shows Carney's name referenced in documents that do not indicate involvement with Epstein's alleged crimes. One email from a third party offers an invitation to an October 2018 luncheon where Carney was the speaker (archived here). Another from 2013 mentions a news article that named Carney in the headline, while others detail a rundown of "key events on the horizon" and include the date he would take up his role as governor of the Bank of England, a position he held from 2013 to 2020 (archived here, here, here and here).

A widely published photo from 2013 (archived here) shows Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney at an event also attended by Ghislane Maxwell, the British socialite connected to Epstein and convicted of sex trafficking. But AFP has previously debunked several other AI-generated images still in circulation that falsely tie Carney to Epstein.

The purported message from Trump is similarly false.

Searches of Trump's official Truth Social account show no posts proposing the supposed offer to lift tariffs in a quid pro quo.

A website that archives Trump's Truths also contains no record of any such post, with specific searches for the keyword "Carney" yielding no matching results (archived here).

The most recent post where Trump mentioned Carney came on January 24, 2026 and threatened Canada with a "100% Tariff" if Ottawa finalized a new trade deal with China. He did call Carney "governor," reviving an insult he had previously directed at former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who Trump said was leading the 51st US state rather than an independent country.

Image

Screenshot of a Truth Social post taken February 5, 2026

Trump's most recent Truth which includes the word "Epstein" was in November 2025 (archived here).

The purported screenshot of a Trump post about Carney and Epstein does not include a date or counts for ReTruths and likes, which would likely have been captured by some users if the post was authentic.

Additionally, the font size does not match Trump's authentic posts, and the profile image and name are misaligned relative to the text.

AFP reached out to Carney's office, but no response was immediately forthcoming. 

A majority of all Canadian exports go to the United States, making the country uniquely vulnerable to Trump's protectionism. The global sectoral tariffs imposed by the United States have hit Canada's auto, steel, aluminum and lumber industries hard.

With the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement still holding, more than 85 percent of all bilateral trade has remained tariff‑free. But talks on updating that deal are set for this year, with the Trump administration indicating it could seek major changes or move to scrap the pact entirely, an outcome that would upend the Canadian economy.

Find more of AFP's reporting on misinformation impacting Canada here.