Photo of pro-Trump protests in January 2021 falsely shared as Joe Biden rally in 2020

Context

In the run-up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential elections, a tweet containing a picture of a large crowd has gone viral alongside claims that it shows a Biden rally from 2020 has gone viral, accumulating 109.5K views and 754 likes.

However, further investigation shows that this image is not from a Biden rally but from a pro-Trump rally on January 6, 2021.

In Fact

Upon close examination of the image, it becomes apparent that the individuals depicted are holding posters supporting Trump and not Biden. A reverse image search shows that the image originated on January 6, 2021. It has been featured on multiple credible news outlets, like Al Jazeera, CNN, and The Independent. The original image was captured by photographer Jacquelyn Martin of the Associated Press. 

Searching the Associated Press image gallery for photos by Jacquelyn Martin from January 6, we located the same picture with the Image ID: 21006579372199. The provided caption by the Associated Press stated: "With the Washington Monument in the background, people attend a rally in support of President Donald Trump near the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington." These findings establish that the images depict a pro-Trump rally held in the national capital, where attendees protested against the electoral college results as Donald Trump claimed they were fraudulent. 

The image captures a significant moment during the pro-Trump rally on January 6, 2021, the same day the United States Congress convened to certify the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election. As it became clear that Joe Biden was to become the next president of the U.S., Trump, who refused to concede defeat in the elections held on November 3, 2020, had urged his supporters multiple times to come to Washington for a rally on January 6, 2021, a Reuters report from 2021 said. Thousands of Trump supporters gathered near the Washington Monument, and following a speech by Trump, they began to walk towards the Capitol. 

According to an article by Al Jazeera on January 6, 2021, pro-Trump protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol, leading to chaos during the certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. Protesters breached security, causing members of Congress to evacuate and seek safety. The situation escalated with reports of guns drawn inside the House chamber. One civilian was killed in the clashes between the police and Trump’s supporters.  

The Verdict

The claim that the image represents a Biden rally from 2020 is misleading. Through a reverse image search and close examination, it is evident that the picture is from a pro-Trump rally on January 6, 2021, with individuals holding Trump posters, not Biden posters. Therefore we rate this claim as false.