You may have seen a post on social media that displays a screenshot of a supposed Craigslist ad soliciting “anti-Trump” protesters to hold signs at an event in Phoenix for $15 an hour.
The photo, however, is outdated and the ad itself is phony.
We debunked a nearly identical post in November 2019, but with one notable difference: It was attempting to find and pay “pro-Trump” actors for the event, instead of “anti-Trump” actors.
Here’s a side-by-side photo of the two posts:
If you look closely at the image in the recent post, you can see that it has been altered, with the word “Pro” swapped out for “Anti.”
A “Students for Trump” event was held in Phoenix on June 23, and might be why this popped up, but it was at Dream City Church, not the convention center.
We also couldn’t find any ads on Craigslist in that area that offer to pay anti-Trump actors.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
RELATED: A history of hoaxes: Fake Craigslist ads that solicit minority actors for Trump rallies
There is a history of similar Craigslist ads being shared online that are unaffiliated with the Trump campaign. But this is one of the first times we’ve seen the images altered to make it look like Trump critics are posting them.
Either way, it’s wrong.
Liberals and conservatives have accused each other of paying supporters and protesters to show up at political events, but these advertisements appear to be created to stoke anger from the other side of the aisle.
We rate this False.
Truth-o-meter Ruling
IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT
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Old photo of Craigslist Phoenix advertisement swaps out "Pro-Trump" for "Anti-Trump."
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There is a history of questionable advertisements unaffiliated with politician’s campaigns that solicit supporters and protesters to show up at political events.
Statement
Context
a Facebook postSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Facebook post, June 11, 2020
PolitiFact, No, that Craigslist ad offering to pay for Trump support is phony, Nov. 11, 2019
PolitiFact, A history of hoaxes: Fake Craigslist ads that solicit minority actors for Trump rallies, June 15, 2020
USA Today, Fact check: Craigslist ad seeking minority actors for Trump rally in Tulsa is fake, June 19, 2020
NY Daily News, Man receives harassing calls after Trump rally ‘actors’ ad on Craigslist uses his phone number, Aug. 23, 2017
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