Fact check: This image is an authentic photograph of Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Verdict: mixed — Trust Score 59/100

The post accurately reports that Donald Trump recently ordered a reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the U.S. in efforts related to Iran. This has been confirmed by 3 reliable sources including ABC News, CBS News, and The Washington Post. However, the post's assertion that the U.S. is "siding with North Korea and Kim Jong Un instead of the democratic South Korea" is a strong interpretation of these events, rather than a direct factual statement, and the overall language is highly opinionated and sensationalized.

Platform
instagram
Source author
feminist_news_now — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.instagram.com/p/DcJRwwAlbUO/?igsh=NmoxdWE1NjRxZGFi&igsi=NmoxdWE1NjRxZGFi
Verified on
August 18, 2026
Verification ID
ZdoDjYYxWaJwHKvxCfLTyw

Original content reviewed

Platform: INSTAGRAM Author: @feminist_news_now --- Caption/Description --- So let me get this straight: the party that sees a communist under every college syllabus, public-library book, and kid asking for lunch money is now rearranging U.S. policy around the feelings of an actual hereditary dictator with nuclear weapons. South Korea is a democratic ally. North Korea is a brutal, isolated dictatorship that routinely threatens its neighbors. But Trump’s foreign-policy compass has never pointed toward democracy, alliances, or national security. It points directly toward whoever flatters him the hardest. Apparently South Korea failed the loyalty test—not by abandoning the United States, but by failing to kiss the ring enthusiastically enough. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un gets to call the shots by being “respectful” to Trump personally. Not respectful to human rights. Not respectful to international law. Not respectful to South Koreans. Just respectful to Donald Trump’s ego. This is what happens when a country is led by people with zero discipline and a president whose entire worldview is: Did you compliment me today? If yes, you’re a strategic partner. If no, enjoy being thrown under the bus for the dictator buddy he says he gets along with “GREAT.” “Communism is bad,” they scream—right until the communist dictator tells Trump he looks handsome. --- On-Screen Text (OCR) --- Trump announced the U.S. will now be siding with North Korea and Kim Jong Un instead of the democratic South Korea. The party calling everyone who opposes them a “communist” is now siding with a literal communist dictator. Published: 2026-08-17T14:42:07.000Z ---VERIFICATION_SUMMARY--- Platform: INSTAGRAM Author: @feminist_news_now --- HOW TO VERIFY THIS (provenance-first) --- 1. SOURCE-TRACE: take the MOST DISTINCTIVE, verbatim details above — exact unusual quotes, named people/places/objects — and web-search them TOGETHER as a combination, alongside the subject/person shown and the topic, to find

Claims analyzed (4)

  1. mostly true: This image is an authentic photograph of Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.
    The image shows Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un together, which is consistent with their past meetings. The image does not show any signs of manipulation or AI generation.
  2. mixed: Trump announced the U.S. will now be siding with North Korea and Kim Jong Un instead of the democratic South Korea.
    News reports confirm that Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his good relationship with Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to help with Iran's denuclearization. While this decision has been interpreted by some as favoring North Korea over South Korea, the direct statement "siding with North Korea... instead of South Korea" is a strong interpretation rather than a direct quote or official policy announcement.
  3. verified: South Korea is a democratic ally. North Korea is a brutal, isolated dictatorship that routinely threatens its neighbors.
    South Korea is widely recognized as a democratic nation and a key ally of the United States. North Korea is consistently described as an authoritarian dictatorship with a history of threatening its neighbors.
  4. unverifiable: Apparently South Korea failed the loyalty test—not by abandoning the United States, but by failing to kiss the ring enthusiastically enough. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un gets to call the shots by being “respe
    This statement is an opinion and a satirical interpretation of the reasons behind Trump's foreign policy decisions. It is not a factual claim that can be verified or refuted.

Sources consulted (7)

Related verifications

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