Fact-check: viral video and claims Denmark trolled Trump and Rubio with 'Send in the Clowns'
A widely shared video claims Danish officials played the song during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's arrival for a Greenland signing ceremony, but there is no evidence the choice was deliberate.
A video circulating online claims that Danish officials played Judy Collins' song "Send in the Clowns" as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived for a signing ceremony related to Greenland, fueling claims that Denmark had deliberately "trolled" Rubio and, by extension, the Trump administration.
According to checks of separate livestream footage of the event, the song did in fact play during the arrival, and the video itself does not appear to have been manipulated. The audio matches independent recordings of the same moment.
No evidence of deliberate intent
Denmark has denied that officials deliberately chose the music for the occasion. The United Nations, which some claims associated with organizing the event, has said it did not organize the ceremony in question.
While the underlying video and audio are genuine, there is no evidence confirming that Danish officials intentionally selected the song as a pointed message toward the US delegation. The claims of deliberate trolling therefore remain unsubstantiated, even though the core video is authentic.
The episode illustrates how a genuine, unaltered video can still be used to support an unverified narrative, in this case about diplomatic tension surrounding Greenland and the sequence of events at the signing ceremony.
Sources
- ‘Send in the Clowns’: Viral video fuels claims Denmark trolled Trump and Rubio — France 24 — English
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
Comments
Loading comments…
Related articles
Cuba Blames US Pressure for Worsening Crisis as Rubio Calls Island a 'Failed State'
Cuba's foreign minister says US measures are causing growing damage to Cuban families.
ICC Assembly of States Parties to hold next session in The Hague, not New York
The International Criminal Court's annual assembly will relocate its upcoming session amid tensions with the United States.
Questions grow over Iraq's security future as US military presence ends
Analysts are examining whether Iraqi forces can manage security challenges as more than two decades of US military presence draws to a close.
Iranian Security Official Says Trump 'Unable to Decide' on Conditions Conveyed by Tehran
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran has communicated its terms to Washington.
Iran sent its conditions to US; Trump unable to decide, says Rezaei
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran has conveyed its conditions to Washington but that President Trump has yet to make a decision.
Lindsay Clancy's Lawyer Challenges Evidence She Killed Her Three Children
After a lengthy trial focused largely on her mental state, the defence is now arguing there was insufficient evidence to prove Clancy caused her children's deaths.