Fabricated quote on decriminalising marijuana misrepresents Harris' remarks at Houston rally

"Harris' equal America," read a Korean-language X post shared on October 27, alongside four screenshots that appear to show the vice president delivering a speech at a rally with supporters standing behind her.

Korean-language subtitles on the screenshots read: "Most people arrested for theft and drug-related offences in the United States are Black. This is because American laws are unfavourable to Black people and I will legalise drugs to solve this problem".

"Why are Black people more frequently fined for speeding and drunk driving? This is a systemic issue and US laws are unfair to certain groups in society. I will win the US presidential election, and as soon as I get elected, I will amend the constitution to create a more equal America," the subtitles go on to say.

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Screenshot of the X post, taken on October 29, 2024

The screenshots were shared on X here and here, as well as on South Korean online forums such as Blind and MLB Park.

South Korea has extremely tough laws on illegal drugs, with Koreans who take drugs such as marijuana legally abroad risking prosecution upon returning to their home country.

In interviews during her campaign, Harris has voiced support for decriminalising marijuana and helping Black Americans take advantage of the economic opportunities that it will bring.

"I just feel strongly people should not be going to jail for smoking weed," Harris said on the All the Smoke podcast in late September. "And we know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail." (archived link)

She made a similar comment on the radio program The Breakfast Club and touted her past efforts as vice president (archived link).

"And my pledge as president: I would work on decriminalising it," she said, referring to marijuana. "Because I know exactly how those laws have been used to disproportionately impact certain populations and specifically Black men."

However, the subtitles are fabricated and Harris did not make such comments at the Houston rally. 

Decriminalisation

A reverse image search on Google found the screenshots were taken from a video posted on a YouTube channel run by US broadcaster Fox News called "LiveNow from FOX" (archived link).

The video -- titled "FULL SPEECH: Harris rallies for reproductive freedom in Houston, TX" -- shows Harris delivering remarks on abortion rights in Texas on October 25. 

Below is a screenshot comparison between the scene in the false posts (left) and in the YouTube video (right):

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Screenshot comparison between the screenshots shared in false posts (L) and the YouTube video (R)

The corresponding shots appear between the 0:54 and the 1:02 marks of the video, where Harris thanked those "whose lives have been impacted by these Trump abortion bans" for sharing their stories.

According to a transcript of her speech published by the White House, she focused solely on abortion rights and did not touch on any other issues (archived link).

AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the 2024 US election.