US President Donald Trump on Sunday repeated a fake claim that former President Barack Obama earned $40 million in royalties linked to Obamacare. He posted the claim on his platform, Truth Social, with the caption “WOW!”

The claim falsely suggests that Obama receives payments for using his name in the Affordable Care Act, which he signed into law in 2010. However, fact-checkers have dismissed this claim multiple times since it first appeared years ago.

Origin of the False Report

The misinformation first appeared in 2017 on America’s Last Line of Defence, a satirical website known for creating fake news stories. Despite being satire, the story has resurfaced several times and misled readers.

The same website and another linked platform, The Dunning-Kruger-Times, both managed by Christopher Blair from Maine, reintroduced the claim earlier this year. The post circulated widely on Facebook, fooling many of Trump’s supporters.

On Sunday, Trump reshared an image of Obama along with the false text, “BREAKING: DOGE halted a yearly payment of $2.5 million to Barack Obama for ‘royalties linked to Obamacare.’ He’s been collecting it since 2010, for a total of $40 million in taxpayer dollars.”

Trump’s Renewed Attack on Obamacare

Trump, who spent much of the weekend golfing, also used Truth Social to criticise the Affordable Care Act. His renewed attack comes as Senate Democrats push to extend tax credits for Americans relying on Obamacare.

Earlier, Trump urged Senate Republicans to abolish the program and redirect federal healthcare funds directly to citizens.
He wrote, “I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies... BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER HEALTHCARE.”

He added, “In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate... the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare.”

Ongoing Republican Opposition

Trump’s latest comments continue his long-standing campaign against the Affordable Care Act. Both he and Republican lawmakers have often criticised the program, claiming it increases costs and benefits insurance companies at taxpayers’ expense.

Despite multiple failed attempts to repeal the law during his first term, Trump continues to make it a central theme of his political messaging.

The White House has not commented on whether Trump knew the report he shared was fictional.