Fabricated CNN graphic shows Harris leading Trump in Texas | Fact check

The claim: Image shows CNN graphic of Texas presidential election results for Harris, Trump

A Nov. 3 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows an image of a CNN broadcast with supposed vote totals from Texas for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The image shows Harris leading Trump.

The post's caption reads, "#texas turning Blue. Its (sic) working. The illegals are voting. Where are the #texans?"

A similar Instagram post was liked more than 2,000 times before it was deleted.

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A CNN spokesperson said the graphic is fabricated and didn't air on the network. Texas will start reporting election results after polls close on Nov. 5.

No credible evidence CNN reported Texas election results before Nov. 5

Emily Kuhn, a spokesperson for CNN, said the image does not show a genuine report from the network.

"This image is completely fabricated and manipulated and it never aired on any CNN platform," Kuhn said in an email.

There is no credible evidence CNN published vote tallies from Texas for Harris and Trump before Election Day. The state had not begun publishing results for the Nov. 5 general election as of Nov. 4.

Texas is expected to begin reporting results after polls close at 7 p.m. local time on Election Day, the Texas Tribune reported.

Fact check: Pennsylvania presidential election results shown in broadcast not genuine

Presidential polling averages by The New York Times show Trump has maintained a lead over Harris in Texas since at least Sept. 19.

The Instagram post mentions "illegals voting," but noncitizens cannot vote in federal elections. Evelyn Cruz, a clinical law professor at Arizona State University, previously told USA TODAY that "cases of noncitizens trying to register to vote do happen, but often as a misunderstanding, and rarely do we see noncitizens who actually voted."

USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

AFP and PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

Texas Election Results 2024: Live updates, maps for every state race

Our fact-check sources:

• Emily Kuhn, Nov. 4, Email exchange with USA TODAY

• Texas Secretary of State, accessed Nov. 4, Texas Election Results

• CNN, accessed Nov. 4, Search

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fabricated image shows CNN report of Harris lead in Texas | Fact check