Trump video about lockdowns and voter fraud is old, not about mpox | Fact check
The claim: Trump warned mpox will be used as an excuse for electoral fraud and lockdowns
[En Espa?ol: Video de Trump sobre confinamiento y fraude electoral es viejo, no de mpox]
An Aug. 15 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows former President Donald Trump delivering an address.
“Trump warns of lockdowns and election fraud over monkeypox,” the post reads in Spanish.
The clip shows Trump saying, in part, "They want to restart the COVID hysteria so they can justify more lockdowns, more censorship, more illegal drop boxes, more mail-in ballots and trillions of dollars in payoffs to their political allies heading into the 2024 election. Does that sound familiar?"
Similar claims circulated widely on X, formerly Twitter and Instagram.
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Our rating: False
Trump did not say that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, would be used as an excuse for lockdowns or election fraud. The video is a year old and is referring to then-new COVID-19 variants, not mpox.
Trump was talking about COVID-19, not mpox
On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization declared the mpox virus a public health emergency for the second time in two years.
A highly contagious and severe strain of mpox began spreading in August following an outbreak in central Africa. The U.S. is preparing for the possibility of it reaching the country, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that the current risk of spread in the country is "very low."
Fact check: No, WHO didn't order nations to prepare for mpox 'mega lockdowns'
Contrary to the post’s claim, however, Trump isn’t talking about mpox in the video. He’s referring to COVID-19, as he makes clear at multiple points in the clip.
The video was initially posted on Instagram by Trump on Aug. 30, 2023. In it, Trump criticizes "the left-wing," saying they want to bring back COVID-19 as an excuse for lockdowns and electoral fraud. He does not mention mpox.
The 2020 presidential election results are legitimate
Trump was also wrong to imply any connection between voter fraud and public health mandates.
Since the 2020 election, Trump has claimed, without legitimate evidence, that there was fraud in the 2020 elections. President Joe Biden won the popular vote and the Electoral College, and the four years since have yielded no evidence that result was illegitimate.
Trump's attorney general, William Barr, said in December 2020 that the Justice Department had not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected the election result. An array of recounts, bipartisan reviews and lawsuits have also shown the 2020 results to be a legitimate reflection of the votes cast.
USA TODAY previously debunked false claims that there was fraud in the 2020 elections, that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged” and that the 2020 election was declared "illegal."
When contacted by USA TODAY, the user did not provide evidence to support the claim.
AFP also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
@realdonaldtrump, Aug. 30, 2023, Instagram post
CDC, April 18, About Mpox
WHO July 23, 2022, WHO Director-General declares the ongoing monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
WHO, Aug. 14, WHO Director-General declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump lockdown claims referenced COVID-19, not mpox | Fact check
