Video of Trump at Iowa radio station misrepresented online
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on June 2, 2023 at 21:50
- 4 min read
- By Bill MCCARTHY, AFP USA
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"Loser Trump had 7 people waiting for him in Iowa for his rally," says a June 1 tweet, one of several sharing a 15-second video of Trump shaking hands with a small group of people.
Another says: "7 people showed up to meet low energy Trump in Iowa. That’s not a typo ... There were singles of them!"
Similar posts spread elsewhere on Twitter as Trump hit the campaign trail in Iowa, the first US state to hold its presidential primary elections. The former president remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination as he eyes a return to the White House in 2024, despite his ongoing legal investigations and challenges from the likes of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The footage shared online is real, but it was not taken at a Trump rally -- it shows the billionaire meeting employees at WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung posted the same video May 31.
"President Trump meeting with @SimonRadio1776 and the crew before his interview in Des Moines, IA," Cheung said in the tweet (archived here).
President Trump meeting with @SimonRadio1776 and the crew before his interview in Des Moines, IA. pic.twitter.com/L11XqCIyvg
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) June 1, 2023
Host Simon Conway interviewed Trump that day at the studio of the station.
"Only our staff was allowed to be inside our lobby to meet Mr. Trump, which is where the videos were taken," Michael Dorwart, the station's program director told AFP in an email. "We were restricted by the Secret Service in how many of our staff could attend, and (approximately) 12 of us were there, having been selected via random drawing. The video looks like the one the Trump staff took."
Trump's outfit in the footage matches photos Conway and WHO Radio shared online (archived here and here).
The radio station's logo also appears on a wall in the video. AFP found an image of the same decorations on WHO Radio's Facebook page (archived here).
AFP reached out to Cheung and the Trump campaign for additional comment, but no response was forthcoming.
Trump's Iowa events
WHO Radio was not Trump's only stop in Iowa -- and his other appearances drew larger crowds.
The day after the interview, Trump attended an event hosted by the Westside Conservative Club, appeared at campaign volunteer training and participated in a televised town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity. None of those stops was a rally.
The crowds at each gathering had far more than seven people, according to videos and photos captured by local journalists and Trump staffers.
Politico reported approximately 200 people attended the Westside Conservative Club event at the Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa.
Donald Trump is back in Iowa. Just arrived at the Machine Shed in Urbandale to address the Westside Conservative Club. Packed house in a small venue. pic.twitter.com/Yyi1sIN1n0
— Galen Bacharier (@galenbacharier) June 1, 2023
AFP also captured photos of Trump's arrival outside the Machine Shed and his speech to volunteers.
An AFP photojournalist stationed outside the Machine Shed estimated there were at least 100 people in the venue with about 20 more outside, and that the training event comprised more than 150 volunteers.
AFP contacted the Westside Conservative Club for comment, but no response was forthcoming.
AFP has debunked other misinformation about US politics here.
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