FACT CHECK: Did Keith Richards Hold A Sign Saying, ‘Donald Trump Is A Piece Of Sh*t’?

Conservative News DailyOctober 11, 2021

An image shared on Twitter purportedly shows musician Keith Richards holding a sign that reads, “Donald Trump is a piece of sh*t.”

God Bless Keith Richards🤟👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/ucO7d8Ah4K

— Shari (@Sharon03855072) October 5, 2021

Verdict: False

The image has been altered. The original shows Richards holding a sign thanking fans for following his band’s Facebook page.

Fact Check:

The widely-shared picture purportedly shows Richards, co-founder and guitarist of the English rock band The Rolling Stones, holding a sign that reads, “Donald Trump is a piece of sh*t.”

The picture, however, appears to have been altered. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found the original was first shared in 2012 by The Rolling Stone’s verified Facebook page. It shows Richards holding a sign that reads, “9,000,000 Stones fans,” an apparent acknowledgment of the page reaching 9 million followers at the time.

“Thanks to everyone one of you Facebookers who like the Rolling Stones. It’s only rock and roll but we love you!” reads the image’s caption. (RELATED: Does This Image Show Chris Evans Wearing A ‘Keep America Trumpless’ Shirt?)

While there is no evidence Richards held up such a sign, the musician has spoken negatively about Trump in the past. In a 2018 interview with BBC News, Richards said the U.S. “has to get rid of him.” In the same interview, Richards recounted how in 1989 he became angry with Trump after he promoted a Rolling Stones concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey that year and, according to Richards, billed it as “‘Donald Trump presents the Rolling Stones’ [with the band’s name written in miniature],” BBC News reported.

Check Your Fact has previously debunked images purportedly showing celebrities displaying anti-Trump messages. For example, in September, Check Your Fact debunked an altered image showing actor George Clooney wearing a shirt calling Trump supporters losers.