The audience at Harris’ Arizona rally was not made up of paid actors

Vice President Kamala Harris drew more than 15,000 people to her Aug. 9 presidential campaign rally in Arizona — one of her largest campaign crowds yet. But some online are claiming those attendees were paid to be there. 

"It’s being reported that every single person at the Kamala rally was paid, carefully vetted and the majority were flown in," a woman says in an Instagram post. "It was invite-only and not open to the public. They’re all paid actors." 

An image of a Craigslist ad then appears with the title, "Actors needed (Phoenix Convention Center)." The description of the ad reads, "Actors/help needed for event tomorrow from 2-11 pm. $15 per hour. Duties include protest activity activity and holding signs that are Anti-Trump. Minorities welcome and needed! Looking to fill about 500 spots."

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Featured Fact-check

Kari Lake

stated on July 16, 2024 in in a speech at RNC in Milwaukee

“Just last week, Ruben Gallego voted to let the millions of people who poured into our country illegally cast a ballot in this upcoming election.”

But Harris’ rally, during which she appeared with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz,  was not held at the Phoenix Convention Center; it was at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, 18 miles from the convention center. 

Similar Craigslist ads have been circulating since 2019. In 2020, PolitiFact found that an identical ad was inauthentic. 

A Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson told PolitiFact that their "campaign does not pay people to attend rallies, including the recent rally in Arizona," adding that the event was open to the public and people were able to RSVP until the event reached capacity. 

We rate the claim that a Craigslist ad shows "every single person" at Kamala Harris’ Arizona rally was paid False.