Fact Check: It's unclear if Trump wrote personal checks to Tennessee tornado victims

The claim: President Trump handed out personal checks to Tennessee tornado victims during his March 6 visit to the Volunteer State.

On March 6, 2020, President Donald Trump visited Tennessee and met with local and state officials, residents and first responders to survey major damage from a deadly tornado that killed 25 people across the Midstate.

Trump was accompanied by members of the state's congressional delegation, including the state's two Republican senators, Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn.

On March 11, several Facebook users posted on social media that Trump handed out personal checks during his visit. Some of the posts garnered millions of views.

Facebook user Lisa Knight posted:

"Trump came to Nashville to assess damage from the tornado. I made tea in case he happened to drop by. He visited each area via helicopter to avoid exasperating the already burdened traffic flows in the city. I’m particularly grateful for that since it took me 2 hours to go a whopping 5 miles last week. On top of everything else, he wrote PERSONAL checks to those in need hearing of their hardship. He even brought along his own personal accountant to do so, on his own dime. No other President in history has done this. None."

USA TODAY reached out to Knight and several others who made similar claims on Facebook, but did not receive responses from most.

Facebook user Kirby Pearce said he did not witness Trump handing anyone a check, but heard about it from someone else.

John Horstman, deputy director of media affairs at the White House, said he could not confirm whether checks were distributed.

Spokeswomen for Alexander and Blackburn also said they could not confirm it.

Michael Collins, a White House correspondent for USA TODAY, said the president’s accountant, Allen Weisselberg, is not mentioned in any of the national pool reports from that trip.

But the White House seldom provides a complete list of everyone traveling with the president. Reporters list the names of those travelers they recognize.

USA TODAY also reached out directly to Trump and the Trump Organization about the claim, but they did not respond.

Our ruling: Unproven

We rate the claims made in the Facebook posts as unproven because they lack any evidence and are not supported by our research. The consensus among reporters and photographers in the press pool, and lack of knowledge at the White House and from two Republican Tennessee senators suggests Trump did not hand out personal checks to Tennessee tornado victims.

Our fact-check sources:

• John Horstman, deputy director of media affairs at the White House
• Pool reporters: Trump pledges support, aid for Tennessee tornado victims: 'We're going to be with them all the way'
• Did Trump Write Personal Checks to Tornado Victims in Nashville?

Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

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