Does a video show Usher refusing to support Kamala Harris? No, that's not true: The video clip used to say so on social media, taken from a talk-show appearance by the singer, lacks context. In the full video, Usher said "Yes," when asked if he supports Kamala Harris for president.
The claim about R&B singer Usher appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly known as Twitter, on September 11, 2024. The post's caption read:
BREAKING: Usher refuses to support Kamala Harris following Joy Behar's remarks calling Donald Trump an existential threat to her democracy.
This is what the X post looked like at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Fri Sept. 20 15:53:11 2024 UTC)
The post featured a clip from the September 11, 2024, episode of ABC's "The View," a daytime talk show.
The full 10-minute, 42-second discussion with Usher, titled "Usher Talks World Tour, Record-Breaking Super Bowl Halftime Show | The View," can be watched on the "The View's" official channel on YouTube.
The clip used in the post on X occurs at 9:02 in the "The View's" footage on YouTube. The transcript (edited by Lead Stories to correct spelling and punctuation) details the interaction between co-host Joy Behar and the singer. (The transcript can be found by clicking on "Show transcript" in the episode description.)
BEHAR:
... this emergency that we're in,
I think that it behooves artists to just
come out and speak for Kamala against
Donald Trump because he is an existential threat to the country. What do you say to that?...
USHER:
I don't get too deep into politics.
I didn't get a chance to watch the debate last night.I obviously have been watching like everybody else.
I think voting is an individual choice, and I think that you're right.You have to look at the reality of the country that we are and the country that we want to be and find the candidate that you feel both fits the category of where we want to be, um, and that's it and that's what you vote based off of. Who you, um, highlight and how you choose to highlight it on whatever platform you have is your prerogative.
BEHAR:
Yes. Yeah.
This one-minute clip misses context. It does not display an earlier portion of the video when Usher answered "Yes," when Behar asked him if he supports Kamala Harris for president.
This conversation can be seen at 8:14 in the video and is transcribed below:
BEHAR:
So, um, you're supporting Kamala Harris in this election, I understand?
USHER:
Yes.
Additional Lead Stories fact checks of claims about the 2024 U.S. presidential elections can be read here.
