FACT CHECK: Did Donald Trump Appoint Karl Malone As Director Of Child Protective Services?

A post shared on Facebook claims President-elect Donald Trump has appointed professional basketball player Karl Malone as director of Child Protective Services.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originates via an X account that describes itself as sharing parody content.

Fact Check:

Trump has nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as Attorney General in his upcoming administration, according to Axios. Trump had previously nominated Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz for the role, but Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration on Nov. 19, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims Trump has appointed Malone as director of Child Protective Services. “BREAKING: Donald Trump has appointed NBA legend Karl Malone as the new director of Child Protective Services,” the post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, reads. The post also features a photo of Trump and Malone.

The claim is false and originates from a post made by @TheNBACentel, an account on X that describes itself as sharing parody content. The iteration of the claim on X has amassed over five million views at the time of writing.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any reference to the claim on Trump’s official website, his TRUTH Social account, or his verified social media accounts. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung also does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim.

In addition, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. If Trump had appointed Malone to be director of Child Protective Services, multiple media outlets would’ve covered it, yet none have. Actually, the opposite is true. On Nov. 21, Snopes debunked the claim, indicating it had originated via the same parody account on X. (RELATED: Will Trump Return To The White House Before January 20, 2025?)

Check Your Fact has contacted Cheung for comment.