False claim that Obama chef was naked when he died at Martha's Vineyard estate | Fact check

Gabrielle Settles, USA TODAY
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The claim: Obama chef was 'allegedly naked' at the time of drowning; officials lied about Obamas’ whereabouts

In a Sept. 20 post on X (direct link, archive link), conservative commentator Benny Johnson made allegations about the Obamas and their late personal chef, Tafari Campbell, who drowned in a paddleboarding accident on the Obama’s estate on Martha’s Vineyard in July.

In the video, Johnson shows the police report of the incident on the screen and claims Campbell was found “allegedly naked." Johnson also claims officials lied about the whereabouts of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama during the incident.

“They literally lied, they said (the Obamas) weren’t on the island – they were,” Johnson said.

The X post was shared more than 800 times. Johnson also posted his video to Facebook on Sept. 21, where it was shared more than 3,000 times before it was deleted.

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Our rating: False

The police report shows more than once that Campbell was not naked. Officials have stated consistently that the Obamas were on the island but not at home when the accident occurred.

Police report, previous reporting give details of Campbell's death

Campbell was paddleboarding with another person on July 23 in Edgartown Great Pond, located near the Obamas’ estate, when he fell into the water and drowned, as USA TODAY previously reported.

Dave Procopio, spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police, told USA TODAY the claims about Campbell being naked and the Obamas' location are false.

“Mr. Campbell was not naked,” Procopio said. “President and Mrs. Obama were on the island at the time of the drowning but were not at the residence. We have been consistent in that statement since the incident.”

The police report, obtained by the conservative activist Judicial Watch, shows that Edgartown Police arrived at the scene along with the Edgartown Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, medical teams and others. Edgartown Police Lt. Chris Dolby confirmed that Secret Service agents were also on hand and aiding in the search. Campbell’s body was not found until the next day, using side-scan sonar.

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As per state law, the District Attorney’s office handled the investigation of Campbell’s death, Dolby said. It was ruled an accident.

There is nothing in the report about Campbell's body being recovered naked.

Johnson bases this claim on one line in the report that states law enforcement “recovered the paddle board and clothing” of Campbell. This, however, does not mean the man was naked when he died.

A description of Campbell given by members of the Secret Service states he was last seen wearing "all black" while on the paddle board.

No, Obamas didn't have 42 past police incidents

Johnson also claimed in his post that the police report said there had been 42 past incidents at the Obamas' home, something he criticized.

That's wrong.

Dolby told USA TODAY the majority of those incidents occurred before the Obamas bought the property in December 2019.

A police incident log shows 43 incidents at the address from 2007 to June 2023, including a hunting complaint and numerous fire, burglary and gas alarms that were tripped off over the years. A few 911 calls were also made.

The Obamas were the owners of the estate for 11 of those incidents reported, with many of those being gas, fire or burglar alarms. There was one hang up 911 call listed from August 2021.

USA TODAY reached out to Johnson for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Details of Obama chef death misrepresented in viral post | Fact check