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Misinformation Campaign Targets “No Kings” Rally Coverage Following Nationwide Protests
Conservative politicians and social media accounts attempted to discredit attendance figures from the October 18 “No Kings” rallies by falsely claiming that news outlets aired outdated footage, an investigation has revealed.
The controversy erupted after several X (formerly Twitter) accounts alleged that MSNBC had broadcast footage from 2017 while claiming it showed the recent Boston rally. “Analysts are calling this the biggest FRAUD in American history,” claimed one account, asserting MSNBC deliberately misrepresented attendance figures.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas amplified these claims by responding to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s post that included MSNBC footage. “Why are Dems dishonestly sending around a video from 2017, claiming it was this past weekend?” Cruz wrote, further legitimizing the false narrative.
However, a fact-check confirms the footage aired by MSNBC around 11:35 a.m. Eastern Time on October 18 was authentic and current. Four Boston-area television stations broadcast similar aerial views of the rally that day, showing large crowds filling Boston Common and temporary speaker platforms. CNN also aired comparable footage, which it attributed to ABC affiliate WCVB.
The BBC reported that X’s AI chatbot Grok may have contributed to spreading this misinformation. Several posts included screenshots of a “proposed” community note—one not yet approved through X’s crowdsourced fact-checking system—which falsely claimed the footage was from 2017. The note reportedly contained supporting links that failed to substantiate this claim.
The “No Kings” rallies, organized by dozens of liberal groups including environmental organizations and labor unions, drew substantial crowds across the United States. Organizers estimate up to 7 million people participated nationwide, with approximately 125,000 attending the Boston Common event.
According to nationally crowdsourced estimates compiled by G. Elliott Morris, former editor of FiveThirtyEight.com, Boston’s rally ranked as the fourth largest in the country, behind events in New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Morris’s median national attendance estimate placed total participation between 5.2 million and 8.2 million people.
Crowd size has been a politically contentious issue since 2017, when then-President Trump disputed media reports comparing attendance at the Women’s March to his inauguration. The Women’s March in Washington, D.C., that year drew an estimated 470,000 participants according to academic assessments reported by The New York Times.
The false claims about the Boston footage appear to be part of a broader attempt to undermine the significance of the October 18 demonstrations. Despite repeated invitations to comment, Senator Cruz’s office did not respond to inquiries by publication time.
Multiple independent verification sources, including WMUR-TV in New Hampshire (a PolitiFact partner), confirm the legitimacy of the footage. The visual evidence consistently shows substantial crowds gathered at the Boston Common for the “No Kings” rally on October 18.
This incident highlights the continuing challenge of misinformation on social media platforms and the speed at which false claims can be amplified by prominent political figures, even when readily disprovable through standard journalistic verification methods.
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8 Comments
It’s disappointing to see politicians like Ted Cruz amplifying false claims without checking the facts first. This kind of behavior undermines trust in our democratic institutions.
Agreed. Public figures have a responsibility to be truthful and transparent, not spread disinformation for political gain.
The allegations of ‘fraud’ around the protest attendance figures seem like a blatant attempt to discredit the event. I’m glad the authorities were able to verify the authenticity of the footage.
Interesting that conservative accounts tried to discredit the rally coverage. Fact-checking is important to prevent the spread of misinformation, especially around major events like this.
Absolutely. It’s concerning to see politicians amplifying false claims without verifying the facts first.
This is a good example of how misinformation can quickly spread on social media. I’m glad the investigation was able to debunk the false claims about the protest footage.
Agreed. It’s crucial that news outlets and fact-checkers stay vigilant to counter these kinds of disinformation campaigns.
As someone interested in mining and energy issues, I find this story about the spread of misinformation around a political protest quite concerning. Fact-checking is so important these days.