Fact-check: viral video fuels claims Denmark trolled Trump and Rubio with 'Send in the Clowns'
The song did play during a Greenland signing ceremony, but there is no evidence Denmark deliberately chose it, France 24's fact-checkers found.
A viral video has fuelled claims that Danish officials played Judy Collins' song "Send in the Clowns" as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived for a Greenland signing ceremony, sparking accusations of Danish "trolling," according to a France 24 fact-check.
Checks of separate livestreams by France 24 confirmed that the song did play during the event and that the video circulating online was not manipulated.
Denmark has denied choosing the music for the occasion, while the United Nations has said it did not organise the event.
France 24's fact-checkers concluded that while the song was genuinely played, there is no evidence that Denmark deliberately selected it as a pointed gesture toward the American officials present.
The episode illustrates how a genuine but ambiguous detail from a diplomatic event can be amplified online into a broader, unsubstantiated claim.
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.
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