Trump Falsely Claims Walmart Closing 250 California Stores

In the latest chapter of his contentious relationship with social media, President Donald Trump embarked on another posting spree Wednesday night and Thursday morning, spreading numerous inaccurate claims and conspiracy theories to his millions of followers.

The former president’s posts contained multiple falsehoods about elections and other topics, continuing a pattern that has characterized his social media presence since leaving office.

Among the most egregious claims was Trump’s sharing of a video titled “California Governor PANICS as Walmart Shuts Down 250+ Stores Across State.” The video alleged that Walmart was closing these locations because it couldn’t afford California’s supposedly $22 per hour minimum wage.

When contacted by CNN on Thursday morning, a Walmart spokesperson swiftly debunked the claim. “This isn’t accurate information,” the spokesperson said. “In fact, we actually just recently opened a new store in California.”

California’s actual statewide minimum wage stands at $16.90 per hour, not $22 as claimed in the video. Additionally, Walmart confirmed it has no plans for mass closures across its 303 California locations, which continue to operate normally.

The false claim appears to have originated from a YouTube channel dedicated to publishing sensational but inaccurate videos attacking California Governor Gavin Newsom. By Thursday morning, most of these videos had been deleted from the account.

Newsom’s office responded to Trump’s promotion of these falsehoods with evident frustration. “We cannot believe we have to say any of this out loud. We cannot believe this is real life. And we truly cannot believe this man has the nuclear codes,” the governor’s office posted on social media Wednesday night.

In addition to the Walmart fabrication, Trump shared another baseless claim about Wisconsin’s voter registration numbers. Multiple posts claimed Wisconsin has over seven million registered voters, far exceeding its adult population, with one post declaring, “This is not a glitch; it is election fraud waiting to happen!”

Official data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission thoroughly contradicts this claim. As of January 1, 2026, Wisconsin had 3,602,958 active registered voters. When contacted by CNN, the commission clarified that the state also has approximately 4.6 million inactive voters – individuals who have died, moved away, been convicted of felonies, been deemed incompetent to vote, or been purged from voter rolls due to inactivity.

Crucially, the commission emphasized that “inactive voters are not considered registered voters” and “would have to re-register before voting,” rendering Trump’s claims fundamentally inaccurate.

Trump’s social media activity also ventured into more elaborate conspiracy theories. One particularly far-fetched post shared by the former president outlined a convoluted and entirely fictional vote-flipping scheme allegedly involving former President Barack Obama, the FBI, the CIA, China, and Italian officials.

This latest episode highlights ongoing concerns about the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, particularly by high-profile political figures with large followings. Election experts have consistently warned about the dangers of such false claims, which can undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

As the 2026 election cycle approaches, fact-checkers and media organizations continue to monitor and debunk such claims, though research suggests corrections often fail to reach the same audience as the original misinformation.

Trump’s continued promotion of election falsehoods comes despite numerous court rulings, recounts, audits, and statements from election officials – including those from his own administration – that have consistently found no evidence of widespread fraud in American elections.