Trump Alleges Roy Cooper Released 3,500 Criminals
Trump posts graphic claiming the former North Carolina governor and his appointees freed thousands of incarcerated individuals.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump alleged that Roy Cooper, the former governor of North Carolina, and officials Cooper appointed released 3,500 criminals.
Trump shared a political graphic on truthsocial featuring a grid of approximately 80 mugshot-style photographs beneath a bold headline reading “ Roy Cooper and his Appointees Released 3,500 Criminals!” The image showed predominantly male individuals in standard booking photographs, some wearing orange or red jail attire. No names, charges, dates, or specific circumstances of any releases appeared in the graphic.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “ Roy Cooper and his Appointees Released 3,500 Criminals!” on October 15, 2026 at 3:01 AM ET.
This is Trump’s first message released today, and the last post was 2 days ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 9 of his 547 posts over the last 30 days classified as Crime posts.
The post did not specify which appointees played a role, what legal authority governed the alleged releases, or over what time period they occurred. Cooper served as governor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025. The graphic provided no sourcing, attribution, or documentation to support the claim.
47th President Donald J. Trump shared a political graphic displaying a grid of mugshot-style photographs at WASHINGTON D.C.
© copyright Zenger.News
Trump’s allegation appeared without supporting evidence in the post itself. The figure of 3,500 could not be independently verified from the information provided. Criminal justice decisions in North Carolina involve multiple layers of government, including the state’s Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission, courts, and local law enforcement agencies.
Crime-related posts have represented a small but consistent share of Trump’s truthsocial activity, averaging roughly one such post every three to four days over the past month. Trump did not name any specific individuals shown in the mugshot grid or describe the offenses for which they had been convicted.
The graphic’s format resembled campaign-style political advertising, presenting the claim as a finished assertion rather than a detailed policy critique. No legislative proposals, executive orders, or enforcement actions accompanied the post.
Zenger analysis
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President Trump is the author of Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life, and Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."