Fact Check: “Modi, Modi” chants heard at Trump’s victory speech? Here’s the truth
Social media users are sharing a video from Trump’s victory speech, claiming that the crowd was chanting “Modi! Modi!” during the event.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 6 Nov 2024 2:16 PM GMT
Claim: The video shows a crowd chanting “Modi! Modi!” during Trump’s victory speech.
Fact: This claim is false. The crowd was chanting "Bobby, Bobby" in response to Trump’s mention of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently joined his campaign.
Donald Trump is on the cusp of a stunning political comeback. The final counts in crucial battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan are trending in his favour, setting the stage for a potential historic return to the White House.
In this context, a video clip from Trump’s victory speech, delivered earlier today, has been widely circulating on social media. In the 25-second clip, Trump is heard emphasizing his commitment to “making America healthy again,” a statement met with applause and chants from the crowd. He also praises “Bobby” as a “great guy.” Amid Trump’s speech, the crowd can be heard cheering loudly. Social media users shared this video with claims that the crowd was chanting “Modi! Modi!”
Sharing the video on X, a user wrote, “Crowd cheers #Modi Modi.. during Trump's Victory speech...@narendramodi and @realDonaldTrump are great friends.. long live India USA friendship..Abki Baar Trump Sarkar.” (Archive)
Kreately, a serial misinformation peddler on X, shared the video and wrote, “Modi's dominance in Trump's country.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The crowd was chanting “Bobby! Bobby!” in response to Trump’s mention of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, not "Modi, Modi".
After reviewing the comments on posts making this claim, we found several users suggesting that the crowd was chanting “Bobby, Bobby,” for Robert F. Kennedy Jr..” Click here and here to access the posts. (Archive 1) (Archive 2)
Using this cue, we conducted a keyword search on X and found that a user had shared an extended version of the video. The clip clearly shows Trump commending Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and mentioning that he would help in making “America Healthy Again.”
The user captioned the video, stating that during his victory speech, Trump gave a shoutout to Kennedy Jr., which led the crowd to chant "Bobby! Bobby!.” (Archive)
We conducted another keyword search on Google and found a report by Time Magazine published on November 6. According to the article, Trump, while hinting at his future administration, referred to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had ended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump. He stated that Kennedy Jr. would help to “make America healthy again,” which prompted the audience to chant “Bobby! Bobby!”
Trump also mentioned that Kennedy Jr. “wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him go to it.”
Another report published by The Guardian on November 6 also stated that Trump lavished praise on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., prompting the crowd to chant “Bobby! Bobby!”
We also reviewed Trump’s victory speech, which lasted over 25 minutes and was published by NDTV on November 6. At the 19:35-minute mark, while speaking about hard-working Americans, Trump mentions Robert F. Kennedy Jr., emphasising that Kennedy would help to “make America healthy again” and that his administration would support Kennedy in this mission. We slowed down the video and found that, at the 19:49-minute mark, the crowd began chanting “Bobby! Bobby!” following Trump’s praise for Kennedy Jr.
Trump also added a playful jab, saying, “Bobby, stay away from the liquid gold. We have more liquid gold than any country in the world. Other than that, go have a good time, Bobby.”
Therefore, we conclude that the claim of the crowd chanting “Modi” during Trump’s victory speech is false.
