By: Sam Doak
March 23 2023
False: A video shows Trump supporters protesting in New York amidst arrest rumors.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
This video was actually filmed in October 2020.
Claim ID 39e60e0a
Context
On March 18, 2023, President Donald Trump published a series of posts on his social network, Truth Social. The posts concerned an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's ongoing investigation into a $130,000 "hush money" payment that was allegedly paid on Trump's behalf to Stormy Daniels in 2016.
On Truth Social, Trump claimed that his arrest was imminent thanks to "illegal leaks" that were supposedly funded by George Soros, and urged his supporters to mobilize in protest.
On Tuesday March 21, when some were expecting Trump's arrest to occur, a video began circulating on social media. The clip, which shows a convoy of Trump supporters on a busy city street, was presented by some as footage of a protest in response to rumors concerning the former president's arrest. However, the video is not of any such protest on this date.
In Fact
The video in question was filmed in New York, as confirmed by the distinctive black and white exterior of one of the buildings, identifiable as the premises of the high-end retailer Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue. The video was not shot in 2023, however. A review of the location on Google Street View shows that prominent signage added to a building between 2021 and 2022 is missing from the clip.
A search of the term "Trump Tower convoy" returns numerous results concerning a demonstration on October 4, 2020. According to the Mail Online, this event consisted of "A procession of around 100 vehicles packed Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower… temporarily bringing traffic to a standstill as dozens of MAGA-supporting motorists honked their horns, cheered and waved 'Trump 2020' flags." Photographs and videos of this event closely match the clip in question.
Shawn Farash, an organizer of the 2020 demonstration, has confirmed that the video in question shows this event and was, therefore, not filmed in 2023. Posting on Twitter, Farash stated, "Anyone who sees video of a rally outside of Trump Tower, know that it is NOT HAPPENING TODAY. It is OLD VIDEO from a rally that my organization put together on OCTOBER 4TH 2020."
The Verdict
Using Google Street View, it is possible to determine that there is no way this video could have been shot in 2023. Instead of showing a protest against Donald Trump's rumored arrest, it depicts a demonstration before the 2020 presidential election. This has been confirmed by one of the organizers of this event. This claim has therefore been marked as false.