IN SHORT: After reports that Tanzania had arrested opposition leaders and supporters, claims that US president Donald Trump had issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding their release went viral. However, we found no evidence that Trump issued such an ultimatum.
After the 29 October 2025 elections in Tanzania, credible news outlets reported that opposition politicians and supporters were being arrested and charged with treason.
Protests erupted on election day as opposition leaders were barred from running. The demonstrations resulted in deaths and destruction of property.
Amid the chaos, president Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in for a second term.
In early November, claims that US president Donald Trump had issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the East African country to release all political detainees went viral.
“America president gives Tanzania president 72 hours to release all politically detained people in Tanzania,” reads one post.
The same claim has also been posted here, here and here.
But is there any truth to it? We checked.
No evidence
Trump often posts his comments and engagements on his social media accounts, including Facebook and Truth Social. We searched his accounts and found no posts related to this claim.
News outlets have closely covered Trump’s speeches and frequently report on his remarks on domestic and international affairs. But there are no reports from credible news outlets about Trump issuing an ultimatum to Tanzania.
Similarly, no reaction to the report has come from Tanzanian government officials, which would have been expected if the US president had indeed issued such an ultimatum.
All signs point to a false claim that should be disregarded.
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