Claim:
A video authentically shows Kamala Harris and Tim Walz posing in front of a sign reading, "Revolutionary Communists of America."
Rating:
Fake ( About this rating? )
A rumor circulating online in late September and early October 2024 claimed a video showed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and her 2024 vice-presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, taking a picture together next to a sign reading, "Revolutionary Communists of America."
For example, on Sept. 30, a user on X posted ( archived ) the video with the caption, " Whatever you do, do not share this again. Kamala hates the fact that she's been branded as a communist. Even though it's 100% true." That post received over 2.5 million views.
Previously, on Aug. 12, another X user also posted ( archived ) the video with the caption, "When they tell you who they are, believe them." At one point, that post displayed over 400,000 views. The user later deleted the post and replied ( archived ) to add a correction that the photo was not genuine.
The truth was the video originally displayed a very different sign referencing Walz's past role as a high school football coach. The real sign simply read, "Kamala and the Coach."
According to numerous photos hosted on the Getty Images website , the video showed an Aug. 9 stop at a campaign office in Glendale, Arizona, just outside of Phoenix.
(Image courtesy Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The @KamalaHQ rapid response account on X for the Harris-Walz campaign shared a video ( archived ) from a different angle also showing the real sign.
A second, smaller sign altered for the doctored video also originally read, "Democrats Protect Abortion."
The Creator of the Fake Harris-Walz Video
A group of former President Donald Trump's supporters known as the Dilley Meme Team doctored the original video to add the Revolutionary Communists of America sign. The group's logo was displayed in the lower-left corner of the video.
(@MAGADevilDog/X)
The name "MAGADevilDog" — the same user who reposted the doctored video on Sept. 30 — floated in small text next to the fake sign. That text credited the original Aug. 10 post ( archived ) to @MAGADevilDog. The user's X bio reads , "Memer and content creator for the Dilley show, Dilley Meme Team, Trump 2024."
'Every American Should be Outraged!'
In our research, we noticed some users still appeared to believe the video truly showed Harris and Walz genuinely and happily posing in front of the Revolutionary Communists of America sign.
One user on X remarked ( archived ), "Why in the hell would anybody in their right mind vote for these two revolutionary communists of America?" A different user also posted ( archived ), "' Revolutionary Communist'??? WTF???"
Some Facebook users also believed the altered video. One user said , " Kamala meets with the Revolutionary Communists of America. Not even trying to hide their agenda! Every American should be outraged!"
Meanwhile, another Facebook user apparently not realizing the meme nature of the video chose to comment at length about the matter. The user later deleted the post , which we have presented in full below:
Many of you think it's hyperbole when Kamala and Tim Walz are called Communists, but while you're fast asleep and seemingly more focused on your feelings… and making history is apparently more important than your family's future — the Democrat Party's candidates really are Communists and pretty proud of it.
The fact that they would even meet with the "Revolutionary Communists of America," tells me they think you're completely okay with becoming a Communist country. Well, you're about to f*** around and find out that Communism isn't what you seem to think it is.
While some of you think this is a game for funsies… the Democrat Party is becoming unrecognizable right before our eyes. Some of you may think you're Democrats and that you're voting for Democrats—but, your willingness to stay uninformed because you "don't do politics" has left you the last to know… the Democrat Party is gone. The Party has moved so far left it's the Communist Party now.
A vote for Kamala and Walz is a vote to drive America to a place that all sane countries are running from. Only stupid Americans are eager to run into the arms of Communism — so follow your heart but when the s*** hits the fan, there are no take-backs.
We previously reported about another video also originating from the Dilley Meme Team, in which Trump shared on his Truth Social account a video with the repeated words, "So God made Trump."
Sources:
"AZ: Kamala Harris Visits Local Campaign Office In Phoenix Area." GettyImages.Com , 9 Aug. 2024, https://www.gettyimages.com/editorial-images/news/event/kamala-harris-visits-local-campaign-office-in-phoenix-area/776188897 .
Davis, Ebony. "August 9, 2024, Presidential Campaign News | CNN Politics." CNN , 9 Aug. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/harris-trump-election-08-09-24/index.html .
Lewis, Alec, et al. "'Am I Getting Pranked?' Former Football Players of Tim Walz in Spotlight amid VP Candidacy." The New York Times , 12 Aug. 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5692153/2024/08/12/tim-walz-oral-history-election-2024/ .
Liles, Jordan. "Trump Shared a 'God Made Trump' Video with AI-Generated Narration by Paul Harvey?" Snopes , 9 Jan. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/god-made-trump-video/ .
Local News
