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Fast Take
An advert from Vice President Kamala Harris includes a Pennsylvania farming couple who say they’re “lifelong Republicans” however are voting for Harris. Social media customers, citing a video from an Australian information web site, falsely declare the couple are “actors” and Democratic donors. The information web site has corrected its report.
Full Story
Vice President Kamala Harris’ marketing campaign launched an advert titled “Not Again” on Sept. 24 concentrating on voters in rural Pennsylvania, the place former President Donald Trump acquired vital assist within the 2016 and 2020 elections. (Trump gained Pennsylvania in 2016, however misplaced in 2020.)
The advert options Kristina and Robert Lange, house owners of Sugartown Strawberries Farm in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia in Chester County. The Langes, who describe themselves as “lifelong Republicans,” say that they are going to be voting for Harris within the upcoming election.
“I voted for [Trump] twice,” Robert Lange says within the advert. “I gained’t vote for him once more.”
“Donald Trump divides individuals,” Kristina Lange says, because the advert flashes Trump’s mugshot after he was indicted in Georgia and images from the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally in 2017.
Following the discharge of the advert, the Langes mentioned they have been the target of harassment, together with threatening calls to their enterprise.
The Langes have additionally grow to be the goal of misinformation. Social media customers have claimed that Robert and Kristina Lange usually are not farmers and lifelong Republicans, as they are saying within the advert, however actors with a historical past of supporting Democrats.
An Oct. 2 Instagram post shared a clip from Sky Information Australia, a conservative information channel, with the caption, “Kamala marketing campaign LIES AGAIN!!!”
Within the Sept. 26 clip, Sky Information host Rita Panahi mentioned, “This pair of farmers proven within the advert seem to in truth be two actors, Robert Lange and Kristina Chadwick, they usually have an in depth historical past… of donating to the Democrats and leftist causes, relationship again to a minimum of 2016.”
An Oct. 3 Instagram post shared the identical clip, with the caption, “Harris-Walz Marketing campaign BUSTED For Utilizing Paid Actors?”
However the Langes usually are not actors — or, a minimum of, not skilled actors. In 2022, the couple wrote and produced a movie, “Hayride to Hell,” wherein they appeared in minor roles. Robert Lange told 6ABC in Philadelphia on the time that the farm, which served because the set for the movie, had been in his household since 1896.
In 2014, Robert Lange, recognized regionally as Farmer Bob, was named Farmer of the Year by the Chester County Board of Commissioners.
In line with OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan web site that tracks cash in politics, Robert Lange did donate $200 to the marketing campaign of then-Pennsylvania State Sen. Andrew Dinniman, a Chester County Democrat, in 2012. However he hasn’t made a donation to a Democrat — or any candidate– since then.
Kristina Lange, whose maiden identify is Chadwick, has no historical past of donations, according to OpenSecrets.
The FEC data referenced within the Sky Information report are completely different from the Robert Langes and a Kristina Chadwick from different cities in Pennsylvania.
In 2019, Robert Lange successfully ran for a seat on the Willistown Township Board of Supervisors as a Republican. He’s presently the board chair.
On Oct. 1, Sky Information issued a correction to its earlier reporting: “We appropriate the document that the individuals concerned usually are not actors and don’t look like Democrat donors.”
Editor’s word: FactCheck.org is certainly one of a number of organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our earlier tales could be discovered here. Fb has no control over our editorial content material.
Sources
Alvarez, Priscilla. “Harris campaign targets red, rural counties as it tries to narrow Trump’s margins.” CNN. 3 Oct 2024.
Barnett, Emma. “‘Demstock’ brings together rural Pennsylvania Democrats who want to ‘jam things up’ for Trump.” NBC. 26 Aug 2024.
Chester County Agricultural Growth Council. “Chester County Commissioners present agricultural rewards.” Press launch. 19 Sep 2014.
Farley, Robert, et al. “Q&A on Trump’s Jan. 6 Indictment.” FactCheck.org. 1 Aug 2023.
Harris, Kamala. “Not Again | Harris-Walz 2024.” Video. YouTube. 24 Sep 2024.
Kiely, Eugene, and Robert Farley. “Trump Press Conference, in Context.” FactCheck.org. 16 Aug 2017.
Pennsylvania Division of State. 2016 Presidential Election, Official Returns. 8 Nov 2016.
Pennsylvania Division of State. 2020 Presidential Election, Official Returns. 3 Nov 2020.
Pindar, Leland. “Lifelong Republican couple in Chester County faces intense backlash for role in Kamala Harris ad.” 6 ABC. 30 Sep 2024.
“Robert Lange (aka Farmer Bob) — Farmer and Owner, Sugartown Strawberries.” Chester County Ag Council. Accessed 9 Oct 2024.
Vitarelli, Alicia. “Sugartown Strawberries farmer turned filmmaker debuts ‘Hayride to Hell.’” 6ABC. 26 Oct 2022.
