Fact Check: True, Barack Obama always carries Hanuman statuette in his pocket

It claims, "A statuette of Lord Hanuman is among few items that Barack Obama always carries in his pocket and seeks inspiration from whenever he feels tired or discouraged."

Fact Check

The claim is true.

NewsMeter performed a keyword search and found many reports and videos that said Obama always carries a Hanuman statuette in his pocket.

We found a report by The Hindu published on 16 January 2016 titled "Revealed: Obama always carries Hanuman statuette in pocket".

During a YouTube interview, Obama pulled out the "small totems" he kept in his pocket, including rosary beads he received from Pope Francis, a tiny Buddha statue given to him by a monk, and a Hanuman statuette, among other things.

The report quoted Obama as saying, "I carry these around all the time. I'm not that superstitious, so it's not like I think I necessarily have to have them on me at all times. If I feel tired, or I feel discouraged sometimes, I can kind of reach into my pocket and say yeah, that's something I can overcome, because somebody gave me the privilege to work on these issues that are going to affect them."

We also found Obama's interview video where he talks about the Hanuman statuette. The video was published by the YouTube channel 'The White House' on 16 January 2016 and was titled "The YouTube Interview with President Obama". The clip where Obama talks about the things he carries in his pocket is at the 44:22 minute mark.

The clip was also shared on India Today's YouTube channel with the title "Obama finds solace in Hanuman". It was published on 16 January 2016.

Hence, the claim that former US President Barack Obama carries a Hanuman statuette in his pocket is true.