False claims Kamala Harris arranged for the plane to board the plane

The claim: Images show Vice President Kamala Harris boarding a plane

A May 16 post on Facebook features an image that shows a person wearing a black coat and a black Converse with their back to the camera. The person is standing with four men in uniform at the base of some stairs that lead to a green screen.

“ENJOY THE SHOW EVERYBODY KAMALA JUST ABOUT TO GO ON THE GREEN SCREEN ENJOY THE MOVIE,” reads the caption of the photo, which has over 500 interactions.

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Harris is known to wear white and black Converse sneakers, but the image predates the Biden administration. It was posted on Twitter in May 2017 and shows the entire “Designated Survivor” TV show. Other images and videos that purport to show Harris boarding a plane are also false.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Facebook user who shared the photo for comment.

Image is from 2017

The original photo was posted on Twitter and Instagram on May 3, 2017, by Kal Penn, actor and former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement under the Obama administration.

We don’t know who the person in the black coat is – but it isn’t Harris, was a senator at the time.

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Penn’s tweet says the photo was taken while filming the political drama series “Designated survivor”, in which he played.

USA TODAY has reached out to Penn for comment.

Other videos cut before showing the plane

The “Designated Survivor” photo isn’t the only image circulating on social media that makes Harris look like he’s boarded a plane.

A TIC Tac video posted on twitter shows Harris talking to a person in uniform and walking up a flight of stairs on a tarmac. Then the clip stops.

“She’s going up the stairs, but where’s the plane?” reads the April 24 tweet accompanying the video, which has around 176,000 views.

Photos from Reuters and Getty Images – as well as the full context of the video – refute Harris’ idea of ​​staging the scene.

The photos taken on April 19 correspond to the video posted on social media. They show Harris walking alongside a woman in uniform and then going up the stairs. However, the TikTok video cuts before showing the plane, which can be seen behind Harris in the pictures.

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“US Vice President Kamala Harris waves aboard Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, United States,” read the caption of one of the Reuters Pictures. She was on her way to North Carolina, according to another photo by Image by Gettys.

April 20 Youtube video shows the images used by the TikTok video. In the longer video, Harris boards the plane. Additional images of the White House of her official youtube channel shows Harris in North Carolina on April 19.

Our rating: False

The claim that Harris arranged to board a plane is FALSE, based on our research. The original photo was posted on social media in 2017 by Kal Penn and shows the filming of the TV drama “Designated Survivor”. Additional footage and video footage refutes other bogus claims that Harris arranged to board a plane.

Our sources of fact-checking:

• Kal Penn, May 3, 2017, Tweeter
• Washington Post, September 8, 2020, Kamala D. Harris goes viral – for her choice of shoes
• Reuters photo, April 19 Vice President Harris arrives aboard Air Force Two
• Getty Images, April 19 Vice President Harris waves aboard Air Force Two
• Reuters photo, April 19 Vice President Harris walking alongside a woman in uniform
• Getty Images, April 19 Vice President Harris marching
• The News Alerts – Podcasts Media on YouTube, April 20 EARLIER: @VP Kamala Harris leaves JBA en route to North Carolina
• The White House on YouTube, April 19 Vice President Harris delivers speech on U.S. jobs plan, presents vision for the future
• Reuters, May 19 Fact Check – Air Force Two was at the top of the plane’s steps when Kamala Harris boarded
• PolitiFact, May 18 No, these photos don’t show Kamala Harris in front of a green screen
• US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, accessed May 24 HARRIS, Kamala Devi
• Netflix, accessed May 24 “Designated survivor“

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Our fact-checking work is funded in part by a grant from Facebook.