Video of ex-congressman Will Hurd being interrupted on 'The View' is edited | Fact check

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
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The claim: Video shows man interrupting Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd on 'The View'

An Aug. 7 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) appears to show Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd criticizing former President Donald Trump before being interrupted by a man during an episode of ABC's "The View."

"Oh, brother, please," the man says. "We all know that the country and the world was more secure under Trump so please just shut the hell up with the talking point for dummies."

The video then cuts to the show's co-hosts, who appear speechless, followed by a screen that says, "Signal Lost We Will Be Back Soon." The text above the video reads, "He said WHAT?!"

The video was liked more than 400 times in two days.

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Our rating: Altered

The video was altered to show Hurd being interrupted while criticizing Trump. The unaltered clip of the broadcast shows he was not interrupted, and the network did not cut away from the live show. The edited video features an artist who says he uses a "satirical approach."

Hurd wasn't interrupted during 'The View' appearance

Hurd, a 45-year-old former congressman from Texas and longtime Trump critic, announced he is running for president in June, as USA TODAY previously reported. He worked for the CIA before he was elected to the House in 2014, where he served three terms but chose not to seek reelection in 2020.

Hurd appeared as a guest on "The View" on July 19, about a month after he declared his presidential bid. At one point, Hurd responded to a question about Trump's behavior by describing him as a "threat to national security."

However, a clip posted on YouTube from the original broadcast shows Hurd wasn't interrupted during his criticism of Trump, as the Instagram video shows. Instead, the studio audience briefly applauds, then Hurd continues to speak.

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The Instagram video includes the handle for Damon Imani, who posted the same altered clip July 28 on Rumble, a video platform. Imani's website describes him as a "producer and artist who creates video content" who is "known for his satirical approach."

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Imani described the altered clip as a "satirical video."

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Associated Press and PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video of Will Hurd interrupted on "The View" is edited | Fact check