English Premier League viewership up 20 percent among young Americans following World Cup, Nielsen Sports data shows.
Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026
The Premier League has struck a chord with young Americans after the US cohosted this year’s World Cup, with viewership for the English top-flight up 20 percent among 18-34-year-olds so far this season, shows data from Nielsen Sports released on Monday.
US broadcasters NBC and the USA Network have attracted an average of half a million viewers for Premier League games so far this season – a 3 percent increase as the sport’s popularity has grown.
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“The World Cup served as a powerful catalyst, expanding the Premier League’s footprint across a far broader demographic in the US,” said Jon Stainer, global GM at Nielsen Sports.
“Our data shows that fandom is not only reaching record highs but it is also expanding rapidly among younger, diverse audiences and carrying over into major domestic and international leagues.”
Just over one million Americans watched Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 home defeat by Newcastle United on August 29, the Premier League’s most-watched match in the US this season so far.
Spurs have been involved in three of the six most-watched Premier League games in the US this season, as their 3-0 loss at Brentford and 0-0 home draw with Everton also made the list.
Major League Soccer also benefitted from the growing exposure in the lead-up to the World Cup, with interest soaring 23 percent among 16-34 year olds.
Interest in the World Cup peaked at 87 million fans in July, with female supporters accounting for 44 percent of the total fanbase, according to Nielsen Fan Insights, which collects data from half-hour online surveys with a sample size of 3,000 in the US.
The White House blocked Politico from traveling with Donald Trump on Air Force One on Monday for the president’s trip to Nebraska.
A Politico spokesperson confirmed that the publication was excluded from the out-of-town travel pool, the handful of reporters who cover the president’s travel with each outlet assigned on a rotating basis. The Washington Post was providing reports as the secondary print pooler, but the White House did not find a replacement for Politico, according to a member of the pool.
The exclusion of Politico comes after Trump banned the publication, along with CNN and MS NOW, from the White House grounds on Sept. 18. But a federal judge ruled that the administration failed to provide due process, and ordered that hard passes to dozens of reporters be restored. The judge’s order expires later this week, and the three outlets are seeking a preliminary injunction to sideline the ban in the longer term. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Since then, the White House also has banned CNN from Air Force One travel and other events.
The Trump administration restrictions on access to certain areas of the White House grounds is a separate but related issue. White House officials have argued that they can freeze out media from certain areas like the Oval Office, as well as spaces like Air Force One, even when the reason has to do with what stories an outlet publishes or reports. In a separate case, the Associated Press has been challenging those restrictions, arguing that it violates the First Amendment as a form of viewpoint discrimination. The case is on appeal.
A White House official said, “Many outlets including Politico are granted access to attend and cover presidential events unilaterally, but traveling with the President of the United States aboard Air Force One is a privilege not a right. President Trump is the most accessible President in American history — holding open press events, taking unfiltered questions directly from the media almost every day, and posting directly to his TRUTH Social account — and he will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press.”
The DOJ argued in a court filing on Friday that, in restricting CNN and other outlets from the White House grounds, the president made a determination that they did not meet “minimum requirements of professionalism,” citing reporting on national security information and other stories.
CNN first reported on the ban on Politico from the pool.
Katie Holmes and Jason Bard Yarmosky are continuing to make their romance known.
The actress and visual artist stepped out together Thursday for the Isabel Marant show during Paris Fashion Week, where they coordinated their understated looks and weren’t shy about showing some affection.
Holmes And Yarmosky Hold Hands At The Show
Holmes, 47, and Yarmosky, 39, held hands as they arrived at the fashion event, just days after enjoying another romantic escape together in Italy.
The Dawson’s Creek alum kept things sleek and simple in a loose black sweater decorated with thin horizontal rows of silver sparkle. She paired the top with high-waisted black jeans, a black snakeskin belt and black heels featuring silver-tipped toes.
Katie Holmes (L) and Jason Bard Yarmosky attend the Lanvin show during Paris Fashion Week
Holmes kept the rest of her look mostly monochromatic, carrying a large brown suede handbag and adding a bold pop of color with crimson lipstick.
Yarmosky coordinated with his girlfriend in a black sweater and matching trousers. His square-toed boots featured steel-colored caps that complemented the metallic details on Holmes’ shoes.
The couple later sat together in the front row, where Yarmosky wrapped an arm around Holmes’ waist as they posed for photographers.
The Couple Has Been Traveling Together
The Paris appearance comes after Holmes and Yarmosky were spotted getting cozy during a getaway to Lake Como.
The couple was photographed sipping champagne and cuddling while being transported around the picturesque Italian destination.
Katie Holmes and Jason Bard Yarmosky attend Guild Hall Summer Gala 2026
It wasn’t their first visit to Lake Como recently, either. The pair reportedly returned to the popular vacation spot after making another trip there just two weeks earlier.
Following their Italian escape, Holmes and Yarmosky headed to France for Paris Fashion Week. They were also among the famous faces attending a party hosted by Carine Roitfeld at the famed caviar restaurant Le Prunier.
Their Romance Has Taken Them From New York To Milan
Holmes and Yarmosky have seemingly made fashion week appearances part of their relationship itinerary.
The couple attended the Calvin Klein show during New York Fashion Week in September before heading to Milan, where they were spotted together at the Tod’s show last week.
Now, they’ve landed in Paris for another round of front-row appearances.
Jason Bard Yarmosky and Katie Holmes at the Michael Kors 45th Anniversary Collection Dinner held at Swifty’s at The Hedges Inn on August 20, 2026 in East Hampton, New York. (Photo by Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images)
Paris Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear season kicked off Monday. The nine-day fashion extravaganza is bringing international celebrities and designers to the French capital for dozens of runway shows and presentations.
Among the week’s headline-making appearances was Celine Dion’s surprise performance at L’Oréal Paris’ annual show beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Holmes And Yarmosky Have Been Going Public With Their Romance
The pair’s relationship first sparked speculation in June.
By the following month, Holmes and Yarmosky appeared to confirm they were more than friends when they arrived hand-in-hand at a screening of Olivia Wilde’s sex comedy The Invite.
Earlier this month, Holmes also gave fans a closer look at their relationship by sharing photos from their Italian getaway on Instagram.
The snapshots included romantic images of the couple kissing alongside scenic views from their trip. Yarmosky shared some of the same photos on his own Instagram account, giving the romance another public nod.
With multiple trips, fashion week appearances and plenty of PDA under their belts, Holmes and Yarmosky seem increasingly comfortable letting the world see their relationship.
Russian authorities quarantine hospital, monitor 200 contacts after suspected pneumonic plague death in Siberia.
Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026
President Donald Trump says the United States is ready to help Russia with a suspected pneumonic plague outbreak.
“We are looking at it very strongly. We just heard about it,” Trump said, adding that he had not spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about it but is prepared to offer US support.
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“It’s a disease we used to be able to control,” Trump said. “Even with great advancement, the germs have really become relatively stronger than they were, and things that used to work on pneumonia don’t work anymore … anyone that has that kind of problem, we will help.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) said based on unofficial information it has received, the “public health risk to the general population appears to be low”.
Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the danger as well. “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on it,” Rubio said.
Russian authorities have quarantined a hospital and are tracing the contacts of an employee at a plague research institute in the remote Siberian region of Irkutsk who died of a suspected pneumonic plague infection. Local media identified the employee as 28-year-old laboratory technician Darya Shipilova.
Official details about the incident have been limited, and Russian media reports say authorities in Irkutsk have placed nearly 200 people under medical observation.
On Sunday, Russia’s official TASS news agency reported that the country’s consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said an employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East was diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown aetiology” or origin. The agency also said it had expanded sample testing from the patient and found no microorganisms associated with her work.
On Saturday, the governor of neighbouring Buryatia region said in a post on his Telegram channel that a woman in Irkutsk had “died, maybe of the plague”.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, a US State Department official said: “We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.”
Pneumonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. According to the WHO, the plague is highly infectious and can be fatal if not treated early.
The plague comes in three forms affecting different parts of the body. Pneumonic plague, an infection of the lungs, triggers the patient to cough out infectious airborne droplets.
If identified quickly, antibiotics can treat the disease. Left untreated, it can be fatal in one to six days.
UPDATED: Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan denied an last-minute effort to halt Paramount‘s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, a transaction that is scheduled to close on Tuesday.
Kagan’s denial of a petition was entered into the docket without comment.
In a filing earlier on Monday, the petitioners — Pamela Faust, Len Marazzo, Lisa McCarthy, Deborah Rubinsohn and Gary Talewsky — argued that the merger was still anticompetitive, even with the conditions put in place by the settlement of the state attorneys general lawsuit last month.
“The States’ settlement itself requires that the combined company not sell or close the Paramount or Warner Bros. lots during the commitment period, provides reapplication rights to employees displaced by the transaction, and creates an editorial-independence board. Those safeguards show the magnitude of the integration that closing will unleash, but they do not preserve competition between Paramount and Warner Bros.”
The petition was a long shot, given that the plaintiffs’ efforts to stop the merger has been rejected by the district court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The plaintiffs, represented by Joseph M. Alioto, last month sought a temporary restraining order to block the merger. But U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin, in a ruling last week, cited the plaintiffs’ “repeated failures to advance any evidence in support of their motions for preliminary relief in this case to date.” She also cited an earlier decision in which she granted Paramount’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, in which she wrote that she had “serious concerns” over the plaintiffs’ standing.
A federal appellate court denied their petition on Friday.
In their petition to the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs pointed to the record of transaction materials, CEO statements and consumer verifications.
Their brief stated: “The requested order is narrow: preserve separate ownership and prohibit integration pending disposition of the petition or further order. It does not decide final antitrust liability. It preserves the Court’s ability to decide the legal questions before the October 6 closing changes the competitive structure the Clayton Act is designed to protect.”
The plaintiffs described themselves as Paramount subscribers, viewers and cable customers. Their lawsuit originally was filed last spring, before the group of state attorneys general sued to block the deal. The settlement includes a consent decree that spells out a schedule of 30-plus theatrical releases per year as well as separate negotiations for the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery cable channels.
Reports spread in early October 2026 that a Russian lab worker may have died of the pneumonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
The pneumonic plague “has a nearly 100% case-fatality rate when untreated,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness requires antibiotic treatment that should start as soon as the plague is suspected, before test results, per the CDC.
The rumor stems from news media reports saying Russia announced that a 28-year-old lab worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia had died of an “unknown” infection, and that nearly 200 people have been isolated as a result. The reports cite Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian public agency responsible for “federal state sanitary and epidemiological supervision,” according to the Russian government.
Snopes could not reach the website of Rospotrebnadzor and does not have access to primary sources, therefore we cannot confirm the details of the lab worker’s death. Russian news agency Interfax reported the Russian government as saying she had died of a pneumonia pathogen of “unknown etiology,” meaning its origin is not clear.
On Oct. 4, Interfax also reported Rospotrebnadzor as saying, “based on the results of extensive testing, no microorganisms associated with the patient’s professional activities were detected in the patient’s sample.” If true, this would suggest the lab worker did not die of pneumonic plague.
A U.S. Department of State spokesperson said via email that the department is aware of the reports and is “monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners.”
Snopes will update this report if, or when, additional information surfaces. We have also reached out to the CDC and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Union Commission. We are waiting for responses.
In early October 2026, a rumor spread that a worker at a Russian lab that studies Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the plague, had died of the pneumonic plague.
Some social media users said the lab worker’s death resulted from an accident at the lab. One X post reads, in part, “A lab worker in Russia has died from pneumonic plague.”
Meanwhile, several Snopes readers emailed us asking for details about the story.
The claim stems from variousnewsreports about a 28-year-old woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia. Around 200 people have reportedly been isolated as a precautionary measure. The articles cited Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian public agency responsible for “federal state sanitary and epidemiological supervision,” according to the Russian government.
In short, it has not been possible to independently verify the rumor without access to primary sources or confirmation from Russian authorities. Therefore, this claim is unrated. We will update this article if we learn more.
Snopes could not reach the website of Rospotrebnadzor, therefore we could not confirm the details of the lab worker’s death. On Oct. 4, Russian news agency Interfax reported that the Russian government said she had died of a pneumonia pathogen of “unknown etiology,” meaning its origin is not clear.
The same report adds that Rospotrebnadzor said no microorganisms associated with the individual’s professional work were detected in that person’s samples following “extensive testing.” If true, it would suggest the lab worker did not die of pneumonic plague.
Local authorities have reportedly implemented preventative measures. Interfax cites the Rospotrebnadzor health agency as saying:
Due to the patient’s professional activities, upon receiving information, a comprehensive set of anti-epidemic measures was immediately and fully implemented in accordance with sanitary legislation. This included identifying the widest possible circle of people who had been in contact with the patient, inpatient medical observation, and daily laboratory testing. The results revealed two cases of Covid-19 and two cases of rhinovirus infection. No other infectious agents were detected.
View from U.S. Department of State
“We are aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia,” a U.S. Department of State spokesperson said via email. “We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners.”
We contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Union Commission requesting updates on the situation. We will update this report if we receive responses.
There are three main types of plague: bubonic plague, which infects lymph nodes; septicemic plague, which infects the blood; and pneumonic plague, which infects the lungs. The bubonic and septicemic plagues are most commonly transmitted via flea bites and handling infected animals, while the pneumonic plague spreads through the air via infected droplets.
“Plague is a known disease and is treatable with common antibiotics, especially when treatment starts early,” the State Department spokesperson said via email. “Cases occur naturally in many parts of the world.”
Coghill, Arianna. ‘Reports of a Plague Outbreak in Russia Follow the Death of a Researcher’. Mother Jones, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/reports-of-a-lethal-virus-outbreak-in-russia-follow-the-death-of-a-researcher/.
‘How Plague Spreads’. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 May 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/plague/causes/index.html.
Lister, Tim, et al. ‘Dozens Quarantined after Researcher at Russian Plague Laboratory Dies of “Unknown” Infection’. CNN, 4 Oct. 2026, https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/04/europe/russia-laboratory-plague-accident-intl.
‘Plague’. World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/plague.
‘Researcher at Russian Plague Laboratory Dies of “unknown” Infection, Reports Say’. WMUR, 5 Oct. 2026, https://www.wmur.com/article/russia-lab-worker-dies-suspected-dangerous-infection/74015157.
‘Роспотребнадзор заявил о стабильной обстановке в Иркутской области’. Interfax.ru, 4 Oct. 2026, https://www.interfax.ru/russia/1120228.
Heidi Klum has spent decades commanding attention at Fashion Week, but this time, the supermodel had a new reason to celebrate in Paris.
Klum’s youngest daughter, Lou Sulola Samuel, 16, made her Paris Fashion Week debut on Oct. 3, stepping into the high-fashion scene alongside her famous mom for the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2027 show. The appearance was a milestone for Lou, who has largely maintained a private life despite growing up with two world-famous parents.
Lou Sulola Samuel and Heidi Klum at the Vivienne Westwood fashion show as a part of Paris RTW Spring/Summer 2027 fashion week
And there was extra meaning behind the mother-daughter trip. Lou turns 17 on Oct. 9, and Klum revealed that Paris Fashion Week was an early birthday gift for her youngest daughter.
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Heidi Klum Brings Daughter Lou to Paris Fashion Week
For her first official Fashion Week experience in Paris, Lou joined Klum in the front row at the Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2027 show.
The teenager did not walk the runway. Rather, her debut marked her first Paris Fashion Week appearance and a chance to experience a major designer show from the front row.
Lou Samuel, Heidi Klum and Paris Jackson attend the Vivienne Westwood Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027
Klum explained to British Vogue that she wanted the occasion to be special because of her connection to Vivienne Westwood and creative director Andreas Kronthaler.
The supermodel called the Paris getaway a “little early birthday present” for Lou and said she believed the Westwood show would be the ideal first Fashion Week experience for her daughter.
Lou Sulola Samuel attends the Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood show during Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027
Klum certainly knows the territory. Just one day earlier, the 53-year-old model had walked the Ottolinger Spring/Summer 2027 runway during Paris Fashion Week.
Lou Samuel’s Vivienne Westwood Look Had a Gen Z Twist
Lou made her arrival memorable with a youthful take on Vivienne Westwood’s signature dramatic silhouettes.
The 16-year-old wore an acid-wash pink denim ensemble featuring a structured corset-style top with a flared peplum and a coordinating asymmetrical miniskirt. She completed the outfit with towering floral platform shoes and a snakeskin-print shoulder bag.
Her long brunette curls were worn loose and voluminous, giving the polished Fashion Week outfit a more relaxed feel.
Klum coordinated with her daughter without completely matching her. The supermodel chose a sculptural white blazer with exaggerated lapels and a cinched waist, paired with a long white column skirt and platform heels.
Jaden Smith, Lou Sulola Samuel and Heidi Klum attend the Vivienne Westwood Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 03, 2026 in Paris, France.
The result was a mother-daughter fashion moment that highlighted their individual styles rather than turning the pair into exact look-alikes.
Lou and Klum also posed at the show alongside Jaden Smith and Paris Jackson, making Lou’s first major Paris fashion event a particularly star-packed introduction.
Lou Samuel Admits She Was Nervous About Her Fashion Week Debut
Despite growing up around celebrities, photographers and fashion, Lou admitted that her first official Fashion Week experience came with nerves.
Speaking with British Vogue, the teenager explained that being photographed has been part of her life since childhood because of her famous family. Attending a major fashion event, however, felt different.
Lou Sulola Samuel and Heidi Klum attend the Vivienne Westwood Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 03, 2026 in Paris, France.
Lou said the experience gave her an opportunity to express herself and show more of who she is rather than simply being photographed because of her parents. She also admitted she was “totally nervous” because it was her first time attending an event of this kind.
That distinction could prove important if Lou decides to pursue fashion professionally. Her Paris appearance allowed her to enter the spotlight on slightly different terms, with fashion and personal style at the center of the conversation.
Could Lou Samuel Follow Heidi Klum Into Modeling?
Lou has not announced plans to become a professional model, so her Paris Fashion Week appearance should not be mistaken for confirmation of a modeling career. Still, fashion already runs through the Klum family.
Her older sister Leni Klum, 22, has established a modeling career of her own, while her brother Henry Samuel has also entered the industry. Henry made his runway debut at the Lena Erziak Spring 2025 Couture show and has since appeared at additional fashion presentations.
Heidi Klum with all 4 of her kids Leni, Lou, Johan and Henry.
Lou told British Vogue that she does not necessarily seek fashion advice from her siblings. Instead, watching them pursue their own careers gives her confidence because they share a similar upbringing.
Whether Lou ultimately follows Leni, Henry and Heidi into modeling remains an open question.
Who Is Heidi Klum’s Daughter Lou Samuel?
Lou Sulola Samuel is the youngest of Heidi Klum’s four children. She is Klum’s daughter with singer Seal, alongside sons Henry and Johan. Klum’s eldest daughter, Leni, is from her previous relationship with Flavio Briatore, and Seal later adopted her.
Lou Samuel and Heidi Klum attend the BoF500 Gala during Paris Fashion Week
Compared with Leni, Lou has generally stayed away from major public appearances. That made her Paris Fashion Week outing particularly notable. With her 17th birthday arriving just days after the event, the trip also marked a new chapter for the teenager.
Whether that chapter eventually includes modeling remains to be seen. But for one weekend in Paris, Lou got a firsthand introduction to the fashion world her mother has inhabited for decades.
Donald Trump said that his super PAC MAGA Inc. would now pay for advertisements that the White House has run at taxpayer expense and stirred an outcry among Democrats and some Republicans.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday: “The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money. This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”
The White House has deemed the spots to be public service announcements, comparing them to government-funded ads that promoted vaccines under President Joe Biden and the Affordable Care Act under President Barack Obama.
But the Trump spots feature himself and promote his presidency. One of the ads is almost identical to a spot that Trump posted on social media to promote his 2024 presidential campaign. More than $10 million has been spent on the series of ads, per CNN, citing estimates from analysis firm AdImpact.
Airing during football games and news programming, among other dayparts, the ads prominently featured the line, “Paid for by the U.S. government.” The group Public Citizen filed an FCC complaint, arguing that broadcasters could be held liable for an illegal use of government funds. But FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said last week that he didn’t see anything “out of the ordinary” in the airing of the spots, calling them a “normal PSA.”
A screenshot authentically shows a September 2026 Truth Social post in which U.S. President Donald Trump wrote, in part, “I have spoken to God and he has given me a vision of an ocean filled with blood a city of dust a golden throne for me to sit on, eternally!!!, Tonight is Armageddon, the final judgement of good and evil!!!!”
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A purported screenshot circulated online in fall 2026 of a purported Truth Social post, dated Sept. 22, in which U.S. President Donald Trump wrote that he had “spoken to God” and that “tonight is Armageddon.”.
The image spread on multiple platforms, including Instagram, Threads and Facebook. Many commenters appeared to believe Trump actually posted the remarks. The full text of the alleged post read as follows:
I have spoken to God and he has given me a vision of an ocean filled with blood a city of dust a golden throne for me to sit on, eternally!!!, Tonight is Armageddon, the final judgement of good and evil!!!! Lock your doors and do not directly at the flash!!!! God bless us all!!!
President Donald J. Trump
(X user @ZiemowitSzcze11.)
Despite the username matching Trump’s real Truth Social username, there’s no evidence Trump actually published the post. The earliest version of the image we found appeared on a Polish X account that captioned it (translation via X): “Well, fake, but would you be surprised?” (archived).
We searched Trump’s Truth — an online archive of Trump’s Truth Social posts — for the word “Armageddon,” and none of the three results related to the quote above.
(Trump’s Truth)
We also looked all posts Trump actually published on Sept. 22 and found he published four that day. None of the four posts matched the timestamp or content of that in the screenshot.
The fake quote appeared to echo whistleblower reports received by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that U.S. military commanders told troops their action in Iran was “all part of God’s divine plan,” allegedly “referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”
Trump has echoed similarly apocalyptic language, posting in May 2026, for example, that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” — referring to U.S. attacks on Iran. He’s also faced criticism for his posting an image depicting him in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Sources
Braun, Sara. ‘US Troops Were Told War on Iran Was “All Part of God’s Divine Plan”, Watchdog Alleges’. The Guardian, 3 Mar. 2026. World News. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/03/us-israel-iran-war-christian-rhetoric.
Ibrahim, Nur. ‘Did Trump Say “a Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight” Ahead of Iran Deadline?’ Snopes, 7 Apr. 2026, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-iran-whole-civilization-die/.
Rascouët-Paz, Anna. ‘Did Trump Post, Delete AI Image Depicting Himself in Likeness of Jesus?’ Snopes, 13 Apr. 2026, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-as-jesus-image/.
Suresh, Saurav. ‘Fact Check: Did Trump Say God Showed Him a Vision of “Armageddon and a Golden Throne”?’ MEAWW News, 5 Oct. 2026, https://news.meaww.com/fact-check-did-trump-say-god-showed-him-a-vision-of-armageddon-and-a-golden-throne.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he feels “badly” for seven current and former male Cornell University students whom a female former student has accused of sexual assault and rape because they “won’t get a fair shake.”
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Context
An Oct. 2 video shows Trump fielding reporters’ questions outside the White House. Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked, “What do you think about New York’s governor appointing a special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case, Letitia James?” (James, New York’s attorney general, previously led a civil fraud case against Trump.) Trump thrice called James corrupt, saying he feels “badly” for “whoever” James prosecutes and alleged that defendants she targets “won’t get a fair shake.”
Trump purportedly made the remarks while answering a question about New York Attorney General Letitia James’ appointment as a special prosecutor to investigate the case.
Snopes readers asked about this claim via email, with one person inquiring, “I saw something that says Donald Trump said he feels bad for the ‘Cornell 7,’ but can’t find reputable sources. True??”
In sum, people correctly attributed this statement to Trump. A C-SPAN video shows Trump standing outside the White House on Oct. 2 and responding directly to a reporter’s question about the Cornell case, thrice calling James corrupt and saying he feels “badly” for “whoever” James prosecutes, alleging that defendants she targets “won’t get a fair shake.”
In an emailed response, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis referred us to Trump’s own comments, adding that the White House believes James has weaponized the justice system to unjustly target the president.
On Sept. 28, Tompkins County, New York, prosecutors announced they were reopening the criminal investigation, citing a “discrepancy” between Doe’s original statement and the allegations in the lawsuit.
Prior to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointing James as a special prosecutor to investigate the case on Oct. 1, James posted a statement of compassion for Doe on her official social media accounts, writing, “What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”
In an example of the claim from Oct. 2, a Facebook post (archived) displayed a meme reading, “This is disgusting: Trump just said he ‘feels badly’ for the people accused in the Cornell rape case because Letitia James is now overseeing the investigation. Not one word for the victim.”
The remarks occurred when Trump spoke to a group of reporters outside the White House. Videos show Fox News’ Peter Doocy asking Trump about Hochul appointing James as a special prosecutor:
DOOCY: What do you think about New York’s governor appointing a special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case, Letitia James?
TRUMP: Letitia James is a corrupt person. She’s totally corrupt and I can’t imagine it. And, I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake. But Letitia James is a corrupt person.
Trump has made other remarks about the Cornell case. During a similar gathering of reporters on Oct. 1, a video shows an unidentified reporter asking Trump, “Mr. President, do you think that Cornell University has done enough to investigate the alleged rape on campus?” Trump answered, “Well, I don’t know that much about it but Cornell is a fine school, and I’m sure they’ll do what’s right.” (Readers can watch that full gaggle on YouTube, with the Cornell question occurring at 11:43.)
Trump has also posted about the case on Truth Social (archived), labeling it “the highly controversial Cornell University rape case” and questioning why Hochul would appoint James.
Colton, Emma. “Letitia James Vows to Continue Targeting Trump after Years in the Courtroom: ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’” Fox News, Fox News, 10 Nov. 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/letitia-james-vows-continue-targeting-trump-after-years-courtroom-trump-derangement-syndrome.
“District Attorney Statement Re: Jane Doe v. Cornell University, et Al.” Tompkins County, New York, 28 Sept. 2026, https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/News-articles/District-Attorney-statement-regarding-Jane-Doe-v.-Cornell-University-et-al.
Ibrahim, Nur. “What Has Happened to ‘Cornell 7’ after Lawsuit Accused Them of Rape?” Snopes, 2 Oct. 2026, https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/10/02/what-happened-cornell-7/.
Katersky, Aaron. “New York AG Letitia James Files $250M Lawsuit against Trump for Defrauding Lenders, Others.” ABC News, 21 Sept. 2022, https://abcnews.com/US/york-ag-letitia-james-files-250m-lawsuit-trump/story?id=90240332.
Mangan, Dan, and Kevin Breuninger. “Trump Half-Billion-Dollar Civil Fraud Fine Overturned by New York Appeals Court.” CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025, https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/21/trump-fraud-new-york-appeals.html.
“President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 1, 2026.” YouTube, The White House, 1 Oct. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsZFFQocGsI.
“President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 2, 2026.” YouTube, The White House, 2 Oct. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7noLOskq5E0.
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Silva, Daniella. “‘I Am Jane Doe’: Cornell Case Spurs Women to Share Their Experiences of Sexual Assault on Campus.” NBC News, 2 Oct. 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/iamjanedoe-cornell-sexual-assault-women-share-social-media-rcna600664.
Willingham, Leah. “New York’s Governor Removes DA in Cornell Rape Allegations, Appoints AG Letitia James to Take Over.” The Associated Press, 1 Oct. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/cornell-rape-accuser-texts-convinced-fraternity-7203e55c76f7be14ab929764c90b60b1.
