Photo altered to make it seem Obama family vacation was on Epstein Island | Fact check

Nate Trela, USA TODAY
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The claim: Image shows the Obama family vacationing on Jeffrey Epstein’s island

A Dec. 6 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows the Obama family posing for a picture on a coastline.

The background of the picture includes a distinctive blue and white striped building that is on a private island owned by the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking teenage girls.

“Outta all the places to take a family photo,” reads the post's caption.

The post was shared more than 1,000 times in a week.

More from the USA TODAY Fact-Check Team:

Our rating: Altered

The image is altered. The original photo shows the Obama family vacationing in Hawaii. The blue and white striped building was edited into the image.

Vacation picture altered to look like Epstein’s island

Unaltered versions of the photo were shared on Instagram and X, then Twitter, by Michelle Obama on Aug. 4, 2020, celebrating former President Barack Obama’s birthday.

“Happy birthday to my favorite guy,” both posts read. “Here's to all the good days, blue skies, and new adventures to come.”

There is notably no blue and white striped building in the background of the image. That building was a signature feature of Little St. James, Epstein’s private island.

Fact check: Image of Obama bowing to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is altered

Epstein was found dead in 2019 in his Manhattan jail cell, with investigators saying he committed suicide while being held on charges of sex trafficking minors. His connections with political and business leaders spawned an array of conspiracy theories about his death and fabricated claims of the extent of his connections.

USA TODAY has debunked a variety of social media posts about Epstein, including a photo that purportedly showed Donald Trump dancing with an underage girl at his island, a claim that several Medal of Freedom recipients are listed on Epstein’s flight logs and a photo purportedly showing Joe Biden with Epstein.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the photo for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories, Check Your Fact and Reuters have also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Obamas' vacation photo altered to resemble Epstein Island | Fact check