Claim: A TikTok user shared a video clip claiming that US presidential candidate Donald Trump urged Nigerians to proceed with a planned protest on August 1, 2024.
Verdict: This claim is false. Donald Trump has not made any statements regarding the planned protest in Nigeria. The video in question has been manipulated.
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Nigeria, like its neighbor Kenya, has been grappling with rampant inflation and a cost-of-living crisis since President Bola Tinubu took office. These issues have sparked widespread calls for nationwide protests, with tensions rising as the protest date of August 1 approaches.
The memory of the 2020 EndSARS protests, during which 12 people were killed at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos, still looms large, raising fears of potential violence. In response, state leaders and clergymen have urged the protest organisers to reconsider their stance for the sake of peace and stability. Security forces have also been deployed to key locations across the country.
Amid these developments, a social media personality known as ‘Very Dark Man’ (VDM) posted a video on TikTok on July 27, 2024. The 12-second clip purportedly shows former US President Donald Trump encouraging Nigerians to join the planned protest on August 1, 2024.
“I advise the Nigerian youths to protest on the first of August for their own good. Do not listen to Tinubu, the government wants to take away the right of protesting from the citizens of Nigeria. I feel sorry for Nigerian youths. I wish them the best on this protest. Nigeria has to change,” the person claimed to be Donald Trump is heard saying.
The post quickly gained traction, accumulating 10,400 shares, 2,619 comments, 47,700 likes, and 3,699 bookmarks at the time it was reviewed by Prime Progress.
Reactions in the comments varied: some viewers thought the message was wise advice from Trump, others believed the footage was genuine, and some suspected it was AI-generated.
VDM, who shared the clip, seemed to believe its authenticity, captioning the video: “Nigerians wake up, it’s time. Donald Trump has told us to do so, and we have to do it.”
This post was also reshared on X (formerly Twitter) by @CyrilEziamaka, who claimed that Donald Trump was supporting the anticipated national protest against hardship caused by poor governance.
Prime Progress examined the video and noticed several anomalies, including the fast-paced speech without pauses, lack of lip-syncing, and repetitive nature. These inconsistencies prompted further verification of the claim’s authenticity.
Verification
Using Google Advanced Search, Prime Progress identified the original video, which was posted on YouTube on March 11, 2020. In the full 9-minute, 29-second video, Donald Trump discusses the spread of the coronavirus and the U.S.’s response efforts, with no mention of Nigerian protests. The original video can be viewed here.
Additionally, the deepware.ai tool indicated that the video had been manipulated and corrupted.
This is not the first time altered videos of Donald Trump have been used to spread misinformation. Prime Progress found other similar examples, viewable here, here, here, and here.
No reputable media outlets have reported any statements from Donald Trump regarding the planned protests in Nigeria.
During our verification process, Prime Progress discovered a tool called Revoice, which allows users to mimic another person’s voice. While not created for malicious purposes, this tool can be misused to create false narratives, as seen in the TikTok video.
All evidence indicates that the video circulating on social media claiming Donald Trump advised Nigerians to protest is fabricated. The footage has been manipulated and does not reflect any actual statements made by Trump.
A TikTok video falsely claimed that US presidential candidate Donald Trump urged Nigerians to proceed with a planned protest on August 1, 2024. The video, shared by a social media personality called 'Very Dark Man' (VDM), was manipulated and did not reflect any actual statements from Trump.
Nigeria is facing significant issues such as rampant inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, leading to widespread calls for protests. The memory of the 2020 EndSARS protests, which resulted in multiple deaths, has heightened fears of potential violence. In light of this, leaders and clergymen have urged caution, and security forces have been deployed.
The TikTok clip, which gained substantial traction, was examined by Prime Progress, revealing several inconsistencies like fast-paced speech and lack of lip-syncing. The original footage, posted on YouTube in March 2020, discussed unrelated matters concerning the coronavirus, and a tool indicated the video had been manipulated.
No credible media sources have reported any statements from Trump regarding Nigerian protests. Tools like Revoice can mimic voices and potentially create false narratives, as seen in this incident. All evidence confirms that the video claiming Trump advised Nigerians to protest is fabricated.
