Fact Check: Viral Clip Doesn’t Show Trump Mixing Up North Carolina and Pennsylvania
News 27-08-2024
A video of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addressing North Carolina supporters during a rally in Pennsylvania has been circulated online with misleading claims that he appeared disoriented.
The video clip, lasting 20 seconds, shows Trump asking, “Would that be okay, North Carolina?” during his speech, leading some social media posts to suggest that he was confused about his location. In the clip, Trump describes supporters waiting days in tents to attend his rallies and then directs his comments toward North Carolina.
However, a longer version of the video clarifies that Trump was acknowledging a group of supporters from North Carolina who had traveled to attend his rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on August 17. A C-SPAN recording of the full rally shows Trump beginning his speech by praising Pennsylvania (at the 02:10 mark). At the 10:08 mark, he addresses the North Carolina supporters who had been with him since 2016.
The specific portion of the clip shared online corresponds to the C-SPAN footage between timestamps 26:32 and 26:54. A spokesperson for Trump confirmed that he was referring to supporters from North Carolina. The Trump campaign also shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter), clarifying that Trump was addressing the “Front Row Joes” from North Carolina.
The Harris campaign shared the misleading narrative on August 17. A spokesperson for the campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
VERDICT:
Miscaptioned. The video does not show Trump being confused about his location; he was addressing North Carolina supporters attending his rally in Pennsylvania.
