News

Unfounded rumor claims Biden staffer changed White House Wi-Fi password to 'RapeyDon47'

U.S. President Donald Trump wants the person to face treason charges, per a meme spreading the rumor.

by Jordan Liles, Published Feb. 16, 2025


Image courtesy of Getty Images


According to an online rumor, a staffer working under former U.S. President Joe Biden set a White House Wi-Fi password to "RapeyDon47" shortly before his administration moved out and President Donald Trump's moved in, in January 2025. 

Users shared a meme with the claim, which was presumably a reference to allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump and further asserted that the president wanted the person responsible to face treason charges.

Social media users posted the meme on Bluesky, Facebook, Lemon8, Mastodon, Threads and X. It read, "A Biden staffer set the White House WiFi password to 'RapeyDon47' on their way out and Trump wants them brought up on treason charges." Some versions of the meme also displayed the words, "If they made it 'compassion,' he never would have guessed. Not only does he have none, but he can't spell it."

However, the claim that someone changed a Wi-Fi password in the White House to "RapeyDon47" was unfounded; there was no demonstrable evidence to support it.

The meme's assertion that only one password existed for the entire six-level White House suggested the rumor was possibly made up. Common Wi-Fi technology covers a limited distance, and the White House contains more than 130 rooms, including the president's residence and a museum of American history.

We reached out to Trump's White House staff and a former member of Biden's presidential communications team for their response to the claim. We will update this page if we receive responses.

Snopes received reader mail asking about the claim. Similarly, one Facebook user posted, "There is a rumor that a Biden staffer changed the White House Wi-Fi password to 'RapeyDon47' on the way out, and Trump is pissed. It's most likely not true, national security and all that, but it's hilarious."

The "Rapey Don" part of the purported password seemingly referenced allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump. In 2020, ABC News reported at least 18 women have accused Trump of "varying inappropriate behavior, including allegations of sexual harassment or sexual assault." Also, in 2023, a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996. (Per The Associated Press, jurors in that civil trial reached a split verdict, rejecting Carroll's claim of rape and finding Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse.)

The number "47" in the alleged Wi-Fi password presumably referred to him as the 47th U.S. president.


By Jordan Liles

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.


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