Craigslist ad shows “every single person” at Kamala Harris’ Arizona rally was paid.
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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris walks on stage during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP)
The audience at Harris’ Arizona rally was not made up of paid actors
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A Craigslist ad offering anti-Trump protesters $15 per hour to attend a Phoenix event is from 2020.
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Vice President Kamala Harris’ Arizona presidential campaign rally was held at an arena in Gilbert, Arizona, and not at the Phoenix Convention Center, the location listed in the ad.
Vice President Kamala Harris drew more than 15,000 people to her Aug. 9 presidential campaign rally in Arizona — one of her largest campaign crowds yet. But some online are claiming those attendees were paid to be there.
"It’s being reported that every single person at the Kamala rally was paid, carefully vetted and the majority were flown in," a woman says in an Instagram post. "It was invite-only and not open to the public. They’re all paid actors."
An image of a Craigslist ad then appears with the title, "Actors needed (Phoenix Convention Center)." The description of the ad reads, "Actors/help needed for event tomorrow from 2-11 pm. $15 per hour. Duties include protest activity activity and holding signs that are Anti-Trump. Minorities welcome and needed! Looking to fill about 500 spots."
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
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But Harris’ rally, during which she appeared with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was not held at the Phoenix Convention Center; it was at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, 18 miles from the convention center.
Similar Craigslist ads have been circulating since 2019. In 2020, PolitiFact found that an identical ad was inauthentic.
A Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson told PolitiFact that their "campaign does not pay people to attend rallies, including the recent rally in Arizona," adding that the event was open to the public and people could RSVP until the event reached capacity.
We rate the claim that a Craigslist ad shows "every single person" at Kamala Harris’ Arizona rally was paid False.
Our Sources
Instagram post (archived), Aug. 11, 2024
The New York Times, Harris Rides Momentum to Arizona, for What Campaign Says Is Largest Rally Yet, Aug. 9, 2024
AZ Central, ‘I feel hope’: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz ignite raucous capacity crowd at Arizona rally, Aug. 9, 2024
The Associated Press, Early Harris-Walz rallies feature big crowds, talk of ‘joy’ and unsolicited GOP counterprogramming, Aug. 11, 2024
PolitiFact, No, that Craigslist ad offering to pay for Trump support is phony, Nov. 11, 2019
PolitiFact, No, this Craigslist ad for paid ‘anti-Trump’ protesters is phony, June 25, 2020
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The audience at Harris’ Arizona rally was not made up of paid actors
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