Old image from Obama's visit to Ireland shared as crowd at Trump's rally

What is the claim?

Ahead of the United States presidential election on November 5, an image has circulated on social media, claiming to show a crowded rally for Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Several users shared the image to claim that it showed the crowd waiting for the Trump rally on October 27 at Madison Square Garden (MSG), New York. The viral image shows a huge crowd waiting on a road, with the security guarding a path for a convoy to pass through. The caption of one such post read, "This picture was taken 3 HOURS ago of people lined up to see Trump at MSG." Archived versions of such posts can be found here, here, and here. 

Screenshots of the social media posts. (X/Modified by Logically Facts)

While the Madison Square Garden rally did draw large crowds, with supporters even camping outside overnight, the viral image is old and unrelated. It dates back to 2011 and was captured in Ireland during former U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the country. The image shows a crowd lined up for a security check before Obama's speech and a concert.

How did we find the truth? 

A reverse image search led us to a report by The Telegraph from May 23, 2011. The report noted that the image shows people lining up for a security check before the concert President Obama was due to attend in Dublin. The image was credited to Getty Images.

The news report states the image was captured in Dublin, Ireland. (Source: The Telegraph/Screenshot)

The image also appeared in a report published by The Guardian on May 23, 2011, which also said that it showed people lining up at a security check in Dublin before the concert that Obama was to attend.

The Getty Images website confirmed it was taken in Dublin by photographer Peter Macdiarmid. While the caption contained a typo about the year, the image details confirm it was taken on May 23, 2011. Several other images from Obama's visit on Getty show him engaged in various activities, including meeting people and visiting a school, note the date as May 23, 2011.

White House archives from May 23, 2011, state that Obama spoke at College Green. Using Google Maps imagery, we were then able to confirm the location where the photo was shot as Lord Edward Street in Dublin.

Obama spent a day in Ireland as part of a four-nation European tour in 2011 to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the economically struggling Ireland, and to celebrate his Irish roots. Crowds filled the streets for a speech in Dublin and a visit to Moneygall, the village where one of Obama's ancestors lived before moving to the United States, reports noted.

The verdict