Harris and Walz posing with a communist sign? No, image is altered | Fact check
The claim: Image shows Kamala Harris and Tim Walz posing with a communist sign
[En Espa?ol: No, Harris y Walz no posaron con un cartel comunista]
An Aug. 12 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows an image of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in front of a red sign with a hammer and sickle symbol that reads "Revolutionary Communists of America."
“Look at this and then don’t say you did not know,” reads the post's caption in Spanish. “There we see Kamala and Tim with a very big sign, Revolutionary Communists of America.”
The same image was shared on X, formerly Twitter.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: Altered
Images and videos from the event pictured show the background included a sign that said, “Kamala and the Coach,” not "Revolutionary Communists of America."
Background of image is altered
Since Harris selected Walz as her running mate, both have faced criticism from opponents, some of whom refer to the duo as radical liberals. Former President Donald Trump has categorized the ticket as "the most radical left duo" in history and "communist."
But Harris and Walz did not pose in front of a "Revolutionary Communists of America" sign. The image in the Facebook post is altered.
The background of the image matches a campaign field office in Phoenix where Harris and Walz stopped after a rally in the city on Aug. 9. But genuine photos and videos from their stop shared by Harris on social media show the sign behind the two read "Kamala and the Coach," not "Revolutionary Communists of America." No communist signs or symbols are visible in the room.
There are no credible news reports about Harris or Walz posing in front of a communist sign.
Fact check: No, Fox Business didn't air graphic about Tim Walz's 'communist agenda'
The "Kamala and the Coach" sign refers to Walz's background as a high school football coach at Mankato West High School, where he helped lead the team to the school's first-ever state championship.
USA TODAY previously debunked false claims linking Democrats to communists, including that images show a Fox Business graphic about Walz’s communist agenda and that the Communist Party USA endorsed President Joe Biden.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Univision also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
@kamalaharris, Aug. 10, TikTok post
@kamalaharris, Aug. 9, Instagram post
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Harris and Walz did not pose with communist sign | Fact check
