Viral video shows Donald Trump presenting Netanyahu with White House keys

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is misleading.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a Google reverse image search and a keyword search to trace the original video.

Multiple users on X were sharing a video since May 3, 2026, claiming it shows United States President Donald Trump handing White House keys to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the clip is from September 2020.

On April 16, 2026, Trump announced he would invite Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for the “first meaningful talks” between the two countries since 1983, according to a post on Truth Social.

HOW IT STARTED

On May 3, a social media user shared a video on X, showing Trump handing White House keys to Netanyahu.

The caption of the post reads: “Trump handing Netanyahu the keys to the White House will be remembered as one of the most embarrassing moments in American history.” It gained 660,100 views.

Another account shared the same clip with the following caption: “Donald Trump presents Benjamin Netanyahu with the keys to the White House. The response online isn’t unified—it’s fractured: Some see alliance symbolism. Others see subservience. Both sides of the populist spectrum are calling it a ‘humiliation ritual’. No single narrative is holding. This is what polarisation looks like in real time.”

The post accumulated 166,200 views.

A local Indian media outlet, RT India, also posted the same clip with the following caption: “Trump Gives Netanyahu White House Gold Key. The president called it a ‘key to our country’.”

The post gained 5,100 views.

Subsequently, other X users also shared the same video with similar claims, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the matter.

A keyword search was conducted to check if Netanyahu recently visited the White House, but it yielded no results from any credible mainstream or international news outlet.

Instead, a reverse image search yielded a YouTube video shared by Trump’s official account on September 15, 2020, titled: “President Trump presents Prime Minister Netanyahu with the ‘Key to the White House’.”

A comparison of both videos revealed that the viral clip was taken from the 0:04-second to 0:43-second mark of the YouTube video.

In the video, Trump can be heard saying: “This was a special token of affection given by myself and the First Lady to Prime Minister and the First Lady of Israel, and it’s a key. We call it a key to the White House, and it’s a key to our country and to our hearts. And you’ve been an amazing leader for a long period of time, and this is in many respects the big day because this is something that’s very special. We just left UAE and Bahrain. (0:33) We’re going to meet outside in a ceremony, and it’s just a very important event, and (0:37) it’s an honour to have you with us, Bibi. Thank you very much.”

In response, Netanyahu said: “Thank you, Mr President. And I have said, and this is true, that you have the key to the hearts of the people of Israel because of all the great things you’ve done for the Jewish state and the Jewish people. So thank you. Thank you very much.”

The exchange between Trump and Netanyahu was covered by The Hill, Bloomberg News, and Kenyan News Today on their YouTube channels in September 2020.

Furthermore, a keyword search yielded a news report by a Chinese media outlet, CGTN, dated September 16, 2020, with the headline: “Pakistan, Israel trade barbs at UNSC over attack in Doha.”

The report confirmed that Trump hosted Benjamin on September 15, 2020, and presented him with a ceremonial key to the White House.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING

The claim that a viral video shows Donald Trump presenting Benjamin Netanyahu with White House keys is misleading.

Trump presented Netanyahu with a ceremonial key to the White House on September 15, 2020.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES:

Sep 15, 2020, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srjwAubXGYQ

Sep 15, 2020, The Hill YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiczRLyLlX4

Sep 16, 2020, Bloomberg News YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/L-jcoxHjRRQ?si=nrBBccQCNl2yGInT

Sep 17, 2020, Kenyan News Today YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/DNUA2kzcICA?si=6b7Bn7KvQFT8SLWJ

Sep 16, 2020, CGTN news report:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-09-16/Trump-presents-Netanyahu-with-key-to-White-House-TPOGnzfduM/index.html