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Did the Pope really expose Trump’s old IQ test on TV? A closer look at the fake news

United States, USAWednesday, April 1, 2026

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The Viral Myth of Donald Trump’s "Secret" Wharton IQ Test

A Claim That Collapsed Under Scrutiny

In 2026, the internet buzzed with a bombshell revelation: Pope Leo XIV allegedly disclosed Donald Trump’s IQ test results from the Wharton School on live television. The post claimed Trump had scored exceptionally high—but the timeline didn’t align. Trump graduated from Wharton in 1968, meaning he would have been two years older than the test’s supposed recipient.

The Viral Trail Led Nowhere

The rumor originated from a Facebook page called "Issa," which amplified the claim repeatedly. Some users pointed to an obscure blog for "further details," but no credible news outlet—no AP, Reuters, or The New York Times—ever picked up the story. If it were true, major publishers would have reported it instantly.

Suspicious Signs: AI Clues in the Post

The deeper the investigation went, the stranger things got. The blog post contained a Cyrillic letter instead of a standard "N"—a red flag for AI-generated content. Tools like GPTZero flagged the text as likely artificial, raising serious questions about its origins and purpose.

A Pattern of Fabrication

The same Facebook page that spread Trump’s supposed test results had also invented claims about Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Colbert having their IQ results leaked. This wasn’t an accident—it was a deliberate strategy to manufacture outrage and drive traffic to ad-filled websites.

AI Detectors: Helpful, But Not Perfect

While AI detection tools can flag suspicious text, they’re not infallible. Fake news creators exploit these weaknesses, making human verification and cross-checking essential. Technology alone can’t replace old-fashioned fact-checking.

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The Bottom Line

What started as a viral rumor dissolved under scrutiny—a classic case of fabricated sensationalism disguised as news.

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