Fact Check

Did Home Depot Sponsor 129 Miles of Trump's U.S.-Mexico Border Wall?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Sept. 5, 2019

A Home Depot store in Burbank, California is seen on February 18, 2019. - The home improvement retail giant offered a weaker than expected outlook for fiscal 2019 when it reported its fourth quarter earnings February 26, 2019 leading stocks to weaken in early trading.Dow member Home Depot shed 3.2 percent as it projected slightly lower 2019 sales growth compared with last year. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)        (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
Image Via ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Claim:
Home Depot sponsored 129 miles of U.S. President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall.

On March 5, 2019, the Gish Gallop published an article positing that Home Depot had announced it was sponsoring 127 miles of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border:

Home Depot Sponsors 129 Miles Of Trump’s Border Wall

Atlanta, GA — The world’s largest home improvement retailer announced today that it plans on sponsoring up to 129 miles of President Trump’s border wall. Home Depot, known for its labyrinth-like shopping experience and employees who avoid eye-contact says sponsoring sections of the wall is a “perfect government/corporate fit.”

“We are proud to participate with President Trump’s emergency declaration,” said Home Depot spokesperson Bethany Millbright. “This country has given so much to Home Depot, and this is a way we can pay it back.”

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

This website is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not let your children use this site. If something in one of the stories you see here is not true, that would mean it’s fiction. You can still do that without censorship – create fiction. Any persons mentioned in our copy bearing resemblance to persons living or dead is a mere coincidence and probably a creation in your overactive imagination.

Some readers may have confused this bit of fiction for a genuine news article because Home Depot's co-founder, Bernie Marcus, is a Trump supporter. Social media users called for a boycott of the store in July 2019 when they learned that Marcus, who retired more than a decade ago, was supporting Trump's 2020 reelection bid.

Sources

Held, Amy.   "Home Depot Responds To Calls For Boycott Over Co-Founder's Support For Trump."     NPR.   10 July 2019.

Tesh, Mike.   "Home Depot Sponsors 129 Miles Of Trump’s Border Wall."     Gish Gallop.   5 March 2019.