Hoax – President Donald Trump surprised the nation by completely banning Halloween in the United States, claiming it to be ‘a thing of the devil’ and promoting fines and jail time.
Analysis
Messages circulating in various languages have caused a stir on social media around the world. The content in question, which spread rapidly, suggests that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, surprised the entire nation with a measure of great cultural and social impact. The focus of the controversy is Halloween, a traditionally very popular celebration in the country, which would be about to be completely banned.
The narrative describes that the president allegedly made the radical decision due to religious motivations, claiming that the celebration promotes darkness, fear, and practices associated with Satanism. Furthermore, the hoax details the supposed consequences of the measure, such as the prohibition of decorations, wearing costumes, application of severe fines, and even the threat of imprisonment. The text also suggests a federal conflict and an imminent “culture war.” Read:
USA completely bans Halloween DONALD Trump surprises his nation «I am going to ban Halloween, that is a thing of the devil!» [Suspense music] «The United States has just banned Halloween and the country is in an uproar!» Starting this year, it is totally prohibited to wear costumes, masks, decorate houses, stores, or schools with any symbol related to Halloween. Those who violate the new law may receive fines of up to $4,000 and even imprisonment in cases of recidivism.
The government guaranteed that this measure was taken because Halloween promotes darkness, fear, and practices associated with Satanism disguised as tradition. Schools have already received official orders to remove any decoration before October 31st or they will be sanctioned. But this was just the beginning. Several Southern states announced they will not obey the federal law and will allow mass celebrations as a form of defiance.
The confrontation is imminent. While religious groups celebrate the decision saying that the United States is recovering its values, millions of young people accuse the government of moral dictatorship and call for protests in all cities. The culture war is raging and the country is completely divided. The question is inevitable: is this moral protection or the end of freedom in the United States?
Fact Check
To verify the veracity of the shocking claim that Donald Trump banned Halloween in the United States, our investigation sought to answer three central questions: 1) Did Trump ban Halloween in the US for being “a thing of the devil”? 2) How was the content claiming that Trump banned Halloween in the US for being “a thing of the devil” created? 3) Are there similar fake news stories?
Did Trump ban Halloween in the US for being “a thing of the devil”?
There is no confirmation, decree, or official announcement from the White House or the United States federal government establishing the ban on Halloween. A measure of national impact, which would involve heavy fines and imprisonment, would be front-page news in every newspaper worldwide.
However, a search of major news agencies and official government channels does not even return a mention of such a prohibition. The celebration of Halloween in the United States, a country where the holiday is a gigantic cultural and commercial event, continues to occur normally, which completely invalidates the dramatic narrative of the hoax.
How was the content claiming that Trump banned Halloween in the US for being “a thing of the devil” created?
The analysis of the text and the way it spread strongly suggest that this is artificially created content, generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The dramatic tone, the lack of precise references (such as the exact date of a decree), and the inclusion of fanciful elements (such as the “suspense music” and the imminent confrontation between states) are common characteristics of texts created to be viral, often simulating the style of news reports or breaking alerts. This type of content is fabricated with the goal of generating engagement and polarization, exploiting sensitive topics like politics and religion.
Are there similar fake news stories?
Unfortunately, hoaxes with similar themes are recurrent, especially involving political leaders and popular festivities. This type of misinformation tries to associate public figures with extreme or religious measures. For example, we have already checked false messages claiming that the US borders would be closed starting from a certain date. Additionally, a hoax circulated claiming that a former head of state would have ended Halloween.
Conclusion
The message that attributes the prohibition of Halloween in the United States to President Donald Trump, with fines and imprisonment for considering it “a thing of the devil,” is totally untrue. No official source or reliable news outlet has reported such a measure, which is incompatible with the reality of the country.
The content is a manufactured piece of misinformation, likely using artificial intelligence, that tries to capitalize on the polarization and interest surrounding the presidential figure to go viral. Therefore, Halloween has not been banned and continues to be celebrated.
Fake news ❌
Ps: This article is a suggestion from Boatos.org readers. If you want to suggest a topic to Boatos.org, contact us by email boatos.org@gmail.com and WhatsApp (link here: https://wa.me/556192755610)
