Trump Isn't First to Commemorate AIDS Day

Zach Rathner

Politics

7th December 2020

Trump Isn't First to Commemorate AIDS Day

Past presidents have also hung the ribbon (Getty Images).

The Claim

Donald Trump is the first U.S. president to hang a red ribbon for World AIDS Day outside the White House.

News posted on

Emerging story

During a press conference in December 2020, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump was the first president to erect a large red ribbon outside the White House to honor World AIDS Day

Users across social media immediately responded to McEnany’s claim, and pointed to evidence that this statement was not true.

Misbar’s Analysis

The Misbar team has determined that the claim is false. McEnany made the claim during a press briefing on December 2, saying: “The president honored World AIDS Day yesterday in a way that no president has before, with the red ribbon there, and I think that he commemorated the day as he should have.”

While Trump did put up a red ribbon in recognition of World AIDS Day, he is not the first President to do so. In fact, George W. Bush erected the ribbon at the White House in honor of World AIDS Day in both 2007 and 2008.

Additionally, President Barack Obama also erected the ribbon from 2009-2016 to commemorate World AIDS Day.

While Trump did honor the day by putting up a red ribbon, he is not the first U.S. president to do such a thing. We rate the claim as false.