FACT CHECK: Did Bon Jovi Perform For ’12 People And 7 Pumpkins’ At A Biden Event?

Varun Hukeri | General Assignment & Analysis Reporter

An image shared on Facebook nearly 500 times purportedly shows rock musician Jon Bon Jovi performing for “12 people and 7 pumpkins” at a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Pennsylvania.

Verdict: False

Bon Jovi did perform at a Biden drive-in campaign event, but local news media reports estimated there were roughly 230 cars in attendance.

Fact Check:

In the image, the band can be seen performing on a stage decorated with haystacks and pumpkins, and a large sign that reads “Pennsylvania for Biden Harris” is visible in the background. The text featured in the image purportedly originated from someone identified as a Facebook friend.

“This is incredible!” reads the text. “From a FB friend: ‘Bon Jovi was featured at a Biden event in PA. He played for 12 people and 7 pumpkins.'” (RELATED: Viral Video Claims To Show A Silent Crowd After Joe Biden Pledges To Raise Taxes If Elected President)

Bon Jovi did hold a small concert at a “drive-in rally” for Biden on Oct. 24 in the eastern Pennsylvanian city of Dallas, according to Philadelphia-based local news outlet NBC 10. He performed three songs, the outlet reported.

A roughly three-minute clip of the performance at Dallas High School was uploaded to YouTube by local CBS 17 News. Photographs on Getty Images also depict Bon Jovi’s performance and him posing for pictures with Joe and Jill Biden. The photographs appear to show the same banner and stage.

The claim that only twelve people were in attendance, however, is not true. Local news outlets covering the event estimated roughly 230 cars showed up to the drive-in. The Citizens’ Voice, a newspaper based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, reported Bon Jovi addressed a crowd of more than 230 cars before wrapping up the performance. The statewide online publication PennLive counted “230 or so carloads” and The Times Leader, another newspaper based in Wilkes-Barre, counted 232 cars.

An image taken by Angela Weiss for Agence France-Presse shows Biden addressing more than 12 attendees among dozens of cars. A similar image captured by Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque depicts Biden’s speech and the cars lined up at the drive-in rally.

Biden and his running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris have held smaller in-person rallies and events that follow COVID-19 guidelines, according to CNN. On Oct. 23, Check Your Fact debunked the claim that only six people attended an Oct. 19 drive-in rally hosted by Harris in Orlando, Florida.

Varun Hukeri

General Assignment & Analysis Reporter
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