Is this a photo of Trump with the former mafia hitman?

Claim:

A photo shows former US President Donald Trump with a former hitman of the Gambino crime family.

Evaluation:

On January 24, 2023, The Independent reported in a “photo taken in the summer of 2022 [showing] Ex-President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up while posing with John Alite, a podcaster and motivational speaker who was once a hitman for the Gambino crime family.”

The picture that appeared publicly on Alite’s Facebook page the time this reporting is genuine. Speaking to The Independent, Alite confirmed that the picture, taken in Mar-a-lago and posted to Facebook on November 9, 2022, was real (Alite is standing right next to Trump).

Alite, following his arrest and arrest in 2006, confessed to committing multiple murders on behalf of the Gambino crime family. He had testified against several mafia members in exchange for a lighter sentence and was found guilty Approved 2012 from prison.

The Trump 2024 campaign denied that the photo suggested Trump knew who Alite was, as The Independent reported:

A spokesman for Mr Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign denied that the ex-president has any awareness of the identity of people with whom he is photographed in informal settings.

“President Trump takes countless photos with people. That doesn’t mean he knows every single person he comes in contact with,” the spokesman said.

Alit, e.g his parttold The Independent: “I suppose he [Trump] know who I am, but maybe not.”

Since Alite is a self-confessed killer and the photo – which Alite confirmed as authentic – appeared on his own Facebook page, we rate this claim as “true”.