Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Claim
US vice-president Kamala Harris rambles during her speech, making confusing statements
Fact
Video was digitally altered; original footage did not have the “Today is today” quote
A purported 22-second clip of US vice-president Kamala Harris addressing a rally, saying, “Today is today. And yesterday was today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So live today, so the future today will be as the past today as it is tomorrow,” has gone viral on social media, evoking amusement from users over Harris’s incoherent statements.
We have received this clip on our Whatsapp tipline (9999499044), too, requesting it to be fact-checked.
The archived versions of the tweets can be seen here and here.
Also read: 2020 Video Uploaded By Gamer Falsely Linked To Manipur Violence
Fact check
Newschecker noticed that the podium in the viral video read, “Ramble Rants: Reproductive Freedom”, raising our doubts on whether the video was altered.
A relevant keyword search led us to this tweet, dated April 29, 2023, where a note states that the video is of Kamala Harris on April 25, 2023, but it has been digitally altered to include a voiceover. The note directs us to a Fox News article, dated April 26, 2023. Also, a look through @ramble_rants Twitter feed and bio, which had the hashtags #dilleymemeteam #memefellas, indicated that it was a meme account.
According to the Fox News report, vice-president Kamala Harris was brutally mocked for puzzling comments she made during a rally for abortion rights at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington D.C, her first speaking engagement since she and President Biden announced their 2024 re-election bid.
One segment from Harris’s speech was ridiculed as a “word salad” by commentators and critics. “So I think it’s very important, as you have heard from so many incredible leaders for us at every moment in time and certainly this one, to see the moment in time in which we exist and are present, and to be able to contextualize it, to understand where we exist in the history and in the moment as it relates not only to the past but the future,” Harris reportedly said. However, there was no mention of Harris saying the words heard in the viral video, indicating that it may have been edited.
A further search led us to the original footage of the speech, which was live-streamed by NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights non-profit group, where you can see Harris addressing the crowd from the 57:10 mark. We saw that the podium read, “Fighting For Reproductive Freedom”, while also noting that Harris made the “moment in time” remark, but not the “today is today” quote.
We then went through the White House’s transcript of Harris’s speech, where we did not find the “Today is today…” quote as heard in the viral video, confirming that it was edited.
Conclusion
Viral video of US vice-president Kamala Harris making bewildering comments during a speech at Howard University is digitally created.
Result: Altered media
Sources
Twitter post, Ramble Rants, April 29, 2023
Facebook livestream, NARAL Pro-Choice America, April 26, 2023
White House transcript, April 25, 2023
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
