Eric Trump has pushed back against claims that he questioned the integrity of UFC Freedom 250, saying that viral screenshots showing him messaging former UFC star Daniel Cormier are completely fabricated. The controversy began after Cormier reportedly posted and later deleted images on X that appeared to show direct messages from Trump.
In those screenshots, Trump was allegedly shown asking whether the fights held on the White House South Lawn were rigged. The event took place on Sunday and was a major celebration marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. Eric Trump responded quickly on social media, calling the entire exchange a product of artificial intelligence. He made his position clear in a series of posts on X.
Trump wrote, “This is completely fake! I have never reached out to Daniel. In fact, this is scary.” He also tagged the UFC and CEO Dana White, adding, “We are aware of the fake, AI generated screenshots being circulated online. I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.”
Both the Trump Organization and Cormier himself ended up weighing in
According to Newsweek, the Trump Organization also responded to the controversy. Spokesperson Kimberly Benza addressed the situation directly on X, stating, “These screenshots are fake. They were fabricated and do not reflect reality.”
Benza also commented on the wider issue of AI-generated content spreading online. She noted, “This is one of the dangers of AI-generated content: false information can spread quickly when people don’t verify what they’re seeing. Please do better before sharing misinformation.”
As per Newsweek, Cormier had written in his original post on X, “I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light, however I refuse to stay silent.” After the backlash that followed, and with his post subsequently deleted, the focus shifted to the authenticity of the screenshots he had shared. This is not the first time Eric Trump has found himself disputing public claims made about him, he previously threatened legal action over allegations about his China ties.
Eric Trump later shared a follow-up post from Cormier that simply asked, “Are people really this dumb?” and thanked the former fighter for that specific sentiment. The deletion of Cormier’s original post became a key point in Trump’s argument that the screenshots were not genuine. In a separate but related instance, Trump also denied and pushed back against China travel claims made about him publicly.
The event itself was a high-profile gathering that featured guests including Lara Trump inside the Octagon on the South Lawn. The Trump camp maintains that the messages never happened and that the screenshots are an example of AI-generated content designed to spread false information.
Published: Jun 15, 2026 09:15 am