Old pro-Trump protest footage resurfaces amid federal charges
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on June 16, 2023 at 20:22
- 2 min read
- By Natalie WADE, AFP USA
Copyright © AFP 2017-2025. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
"President @realDonaldTrump supporters gather peacefully, and march towards the Miami court house," says a June 12, 2023 tweet from an account called "CBKNEWS," which has previously shared disinformation.
Similar posts spread on Facebook and TikTok.
At his June 13, 2023 arraignment at a US courthouse in Miami, Florida, Trump pleaded not guilty to dozens of criminal counts of mishandling some of the US government's most sensitive secrets and scheming to prevent their return.
The indictment says he conspired to thwart investigators and knowingly shared national security secrets with people lacking the proper clearance. The former president has repeatedly denounced the charges as political persecution.
"SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!!" Trump said in a June 9, 2023 Truth Social post, calling on supporters to protest his court appearance.
But the turnout in Miami was slim and the footage shared online shows a different event in Washington, AFP determined by landmarks in the clip.
The US Supreme Court and the Library of Congress are visible in the background of the video. Many protesters are holding flags that say "Trump 2020."
Several people in the clip are also wearing coats and sweaters. In the days leading up to Trump's arraignment, it was consistently more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Miami.
AFP could not determine the video's origin. However, it resembles footage of pro-Trump demonstrations held in Washington after Joe Biden was elected president in November 2020.
AFP has debunked other claims about Trump's legal troubles here and here.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
