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No, an American Indian group did not jokingly give Donald Trump a disparaging Indian name
A meme targeting various politicians that has circulated the internet in one iteration or another for years has resurfaced on Facebook, this time using President Trump as the butt of the joke.
The post reads:
"Donald Trump addressed a major gathering of the American Indian Nation. He spoke for almost an hour about his plans for increasing every Native American’s present standard of living. Though vague in detail, he spoke about his ideas for helping his ‘red sisters and brothers.’
Afterwards, the Tribes presented him with a plaque inscribed with his new Indian name, ‘Walking Eagle,’ which he proudly accepted.
After Trump left, a news reporter asked the chiefs how they came to select this name. They explained that ‘Walking Eagle’ is the name given to a bird so full of s*** it can no longer fly."
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The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Just as this didn’t happen when John Kerry was named in the "joke," or George W. Bush or Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, it also did not take place with Trump.
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We found the George W. Bush version of the joke in the 2008 book, "Celebrity Smackdown: A Very Rude Joke Book" by Luther Blisset, though it likely didn’t originate there, as there have been versions of the joke reported as early as 2004.
It is simply a regurgitated joke that routinely swaps out the politician. It is just as untrue now as it was 15 years ago.
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Our Sources
Facebook post, May 6, 2019
Walking Eagle - President Bush, Accessed May 7, 2019
TruthorFiction, Senator Hillary Clinton named "Walking Eagle" by American Indians-Fiction!, March 17, 2015
Celebrity Smackdown: A Very Rude Joke Book by Luther Blisset pg. 15, Accessed May 7, 2019
Snopes, Walking Eagle, Accessed May 7, 2019
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No, an American Indian group did not jokingly give Donald Trump a disparaging Indian name
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