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| - FACT CHECK: No, A Real KKK Member Did Not Show Up To A Recent Trump Rally
A video shared on TikTok claims to show a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) member at a recent rally in support of 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.
@trustblackwomen #trump #MAGA supporters feeling emboldened to bring out hoods #republican #kamalaharris ♬ Prophetic Last speech – 1968 – Martin Luther King
Verdict: False
The video shows Michael Ricard, a “self-described troll,” not an actual KKK member, at a roadside rally in support of Trump in Mystic, Connecticut, according to WTNH Hartford and The Day, respectively. A spokesperson for the Stonington Police Department confirmed an individual in a white robe and hood joined the group at the roadside rally.
Fact Check:
Trump is behind 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris among registered voters by one point at 48%, according to the latest PBS/NPR/Marist poll, PBS reported. The same poll shows Trump ahead of Harris among independent voters at 49% versus 46%, the outlet indicated.
The TikTok video, which has garnered over 700 likes as of writing, claims to show a KKK member at a recent rally in support of Trump. In the video, an individual in white KKK robes can be seen congregating with Trump supporters on the side of the road. The supporters wave pro-Trump flags as nearby cars pass. “MAGA supporters feeling emboldened to bring out hoods,” the video’s caption reads.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact performed a keyword search, which led us to a September 8 article published by WTNH Hartford indicating a man wearing KKK robes showed up to a roadside rally in support of Trump in Mystic, Connecticut. According to the same article, the man held up a sign that read, “Trump Endorsed by the KKK!.” Stonington Police received “multiple complaints” about the rally, the outlet indicated.
Although the man wore KKK robes, he is not an actual member of the KKK. According to The Day, the man, 35-year-old Michael Ricard, is a “self-described troll.” Ricard’s social media accounts highlight his trolling and satirical activities and Trump supporters have caught on to his antics, The Day reported. A video shared to Ricard’s YouTube channel @ProfessionalDouche in September 2023 repeats the claim that Trump was endorsed by the KKK.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim made via the TikTok video. Actually, the opposite is true. On September 9, Lead Stories reported the claim was false. (RELATED: No, This Image Does Not Show Kamala Harris In The 90s)
In addition, Trump has neither commented on the claim via his official website nor his TRUTH Social account.
A spokesperson for the Stonington Police Department confirmed an individual in a white robe and hood joined the group at the roadside rally.
“We received a few calls from passing motorists expressing their concern for the vulgar messages on some of the signs and an individual dressed is a white robe & hood. We responded & monitored the group until they left. They were in front of Olde Mistick Village from approximately 3pm to 4pm. No arrests were made,” the spokesperson said.
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