FACT CHECK: Viral Video Claims Only 6 People Attended A Kamala Harris Rally In Orlando
A video shared on Facebook over 1,900 times purportedly shows only six people attended Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ Oct. 19 rally in Orlando, Florida.
Verdict: False
The video does not show the full audience of the rally. Attendees were encouraged to stay in or near their cars at the rally to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Fact Check:
Harris and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have been holding smaller in-person rallies and events that follow COVID-19 guidelines, CNN reported. Harris held a “drive-in rally” in Orlando, Florida, where attendees parked their cars in a pavilion and listened to Harris speak from inside or near their cars on Oct. 19 to encourage early voting, per Florida Today.
The video, posted on Facebook and viewed thousands of times, shows Harris at the rally waving from a stage, with what appears to be only a few people in attendance. The video claims only six people besides her staff and Secret Service detail showed up.
However, other footage from the event shows that there were well more than six attendees at the rally. The video being shared only shows a side angle and does not include areas where other audience members gathered.
For instance, a video shared on Harris’ official YouTube channel shows several shots of multiple cars and numerous attendees gathered at the event. A picture shared on Twitter by Deepa Shivaram, a campaign embed at NBC News, also shows other supporters and cars gathered for the event on Oct. 19.
A drive in voter mobilization event with Kamala Harris here in Orlando today. About 90 cars parked with folks waving Biden-Harris signs and honking their horns.
Organizer here says at the top of her remarks: “Stay near your car and have your mask on at all times.” pic.twitter.com/fVRGY5NCZ9
— Deepa Shivaram (@deepa_shivaram) October 19, 2020
“A drive in voter mobilization event with Kamala Harris here in Orlando today,” the tweet reads. “About 90 cars parked with folks waving Biden-Harris signs and honking their horns. Organizer here says at the top of her remarks: ‘Stay near your car and have your mask on at all times.'”