Viral video of Vice President Kamala Harris saying ‘today is today’ is altered

A video that claims to show Vice President Kamala Harris stumbling over her words has made the rounds on social media, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. 

The viral 22-second clip alleges that Harris said the following: “Today is today. And yesterday was today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So live today, so the future today will be as the past today as it is tomorrow.”

Some people on social media are wondering whether the video is real.

THE QUESTION

Is the video of Vice President Kamala Harris saying “today is today” real?

THE SOURCES

• InVID, a video forensics tool
• RevEye, a reverse image tool
• Facebook livestream of Harris speaking at a reproductive freedom rally
• Official White House transcript of Harris’ remarks
• @Ramble_Rants Twitter account

THE ANSWER

No, the video of Vice President Kamala Harris saying “today is today” is not real. 

The footage of Harris was taken from her speech at a rally for reproductive freedom. Doctored audio was added to the video to sound as if Harris made the comments in the viral video.

WHAT WE FOUND

The video of Harris saying “today is today” is not real – it’s been altered.

The footage of Harris was taken from her speech at a rally for reproductive freedom on April 25, 2023. Doctored audio was added to that original video. 

VERIFY conducted a reverse image search from keyframes of the viral video using InVID, a video forensics tool. 

We traced the video back to Harris’ speech during a reproductive freedom rally at Howard University, which the nonprofit NARAL Pro-Choice America livestreamed on Facebook. In both the doctored clip shared on social media and the real video, Harris is wearing the same clothing and two of the same people are shown standing behind her. 

The Facebook livestream video and a White House transcript of Harris’ remarks at the rally do not contain the “today is today” quote that has been shared online. 

Another indicator that the viral video has been altered is the writing on Harris’ podium. In the altered video, it says, “Ramble Rants Reproductive Freedom.” The podium featured in the real video says, “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom.”

The podium’s message also led us back to the Twitter account @Ramble_Rants, which appears to have originally posted the altered video of Harris on April 28. The account often shares edited videos of prominent politicians. 

While Harris did not make the “today is today” comments in the altered video, some people are still criticizing her actual remarks and calling them “word salad.”

Harris did say this in real clips from the rally that are circulating on social media: 

“So I think it’s very important — as you have heard from so many incredible leaders — for us, at every moment in time, and certainly this one, to see the moment in time in which we exist and are present, and to be able to contextualize it, to understand where we exist in the history and in the moment as it relates not only to the past, but the future.”