Video is from 2016, doesn’t show Bill Murray endorsing Trump in 2024 | Fact check
The claim: Video shows Bill Murray endorsing Trump for president
An Oct. 3 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows an image of former President Donald Trump followed by a clip of an interview with actor Bill Murray.
"He's such a different character than anyone that's ever been the president of the United States," says Murray at one point.
The post’s caption states, “Well how about that; Bill Murray with an endorsement for DJT.”
A version of the claim spread widely on X, formerly Twitter. The video also circulated on Instagram and was shared by other Facebook users.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: Altered
The video is from November 2016 and was edited to misrepresent Murray’s remarks. The full video shows the actor explaining why he thinks Trump was elected president in 2016. It does not show Murray endorsing Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
Clip is edited version of 2016 interview
The 28-second clip shows Murray stating that the “country is dissatisfied with the way that Washington has worked for the last couple of decades” and criticizing the federal government for not “working together at all.”
But that video is unrelated to the 2024 election. It is from 2016 and was edited to misrepresent Murray’s remarks. The original version shows the actor explaining why he thinks Trump was elected president that year, not offering his endorsement for the upcoming November 2024 election.
Fact check: Mike Pence quote about not voting for Donald Trump is fabricated
The original, 76-second video was first posted to Facebook on Nov. 10, 2016 – two days after Trump was elected – by the European television show Tracks. It opens with a shot of Murray alongside on-screen text that states, “Bill Murray about Trump & the election outcome.”
That shot was edited out of the version shared in 2024. So were several statements from Murray, including one in which he said he doesn't think anyone foresaw Trump's victory and another in which he said, “We’re going to see if the process works, if democracy really works."
The original video concludes with Murray calling the situation “kind of exciting” because “we’ve never been here before” and “we’re going to see what we’re made of."
There are no credible news reports about Murray endorsing any presidential candidate in 2024. The actor famously does not employ a manager or an agent, and he does not have any verified social media accounts. Paste BN reached out to his attorney, David Nochimson, but did not immediately receive a response.
Paste BN previously debunked false claims that musician Taylor Swift said she regrets endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential bid, that Coca-Cola cut ties with Swift over her endorsement and that Lady Gaga endorsed Trump.
Paste BN reached out to several social media users who shared the claim, but none who responded provided evidence to support it.
Lead Stories debunked a version of the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Tracks, Nov. 10, 2016, Bill Murray: Trump & Election 2016
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
Paste BN is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.