President Donald Trump has reportedly told White House guests that his predecessor, Barack Obama, used to "watch basketball all day" in the Oval Office dining room.
“He just sat in here and watched basketball all day,” four people recalled to The Washington Post. Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Obama had left his private office in "rough shape," having left a hole in the wall.
Neither of Trump's stories is true, writes the Post.
A former Obama official confirmed to WaPo that there was no hole in the wall and that Obama rarely used the dining room for work or for watching basketball.
On Monday, Obama's official White House photographer shared pictures of the 44th president in the Oval Office dining room, and surprise, they refute what Trump said.
Instead, the pictures show Obama hosting guests - including former Vice President Joe Biden, then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and other lawmakers - for lunch.
"Click through the pictures to see what President Obama actually did in the dining room with a variety of people: he had lunch," Pete Souza posted on Instagram. "If you spot the hole in the wall, you win a free trip to visit the medieval concrete wall in Mexico."
Photos below:
Here is Obama lunching with Biden and McConnell. No basketball.
Look, John Boehner! No basketball.
And here is Obama hosting now-Speaker Pelosi Biden, and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC). No basketball.
Some people think this is another example of Trump projecting. After all, every morning the president enjoys hours of "executive time," which is just code for watching Fox News.
Others see a more sinister tint to Trump's remarks.
The animosity goes back years.
There really is nothing too small for Trump to lie about.
Basketball games are not on during the day, either.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter