‘Australians celebrate Trump midterm election lost’ video, actually footage of 2022 World Cup celebrations
Thai PBS Verify identified X as the source of the misleading claim
A post claims people in Melbourne, Australia, were celebrating after learning the results of the US midterm elections.
Thai PBS Verify found that an X user named “Hayden” had posted the video with the message:
“Incredible scenes in Melbourne Australia as it’s announced Texas has gone blue and Trump has lost the midterms.”
The post claimed that extraordinary scenes had erupted in Melbourne after it was announced that Texas had turned blue, meaning it supported the Democratic Party, and that Trump had lost the midterms.
The post was published on Nov 4, 2026, after results from the US midterm elections began emerging. It subsequently received more than 1.2 million views.
The video examined by Thai PBS Verify
Did Australians really celebrate the US election result?
Thai PBS Verify found that the video contained a tag identifying its original owner. Tracing that tag led investigators to an X user named James Smart, who described the footage as showing Australians celebrating during the 2022 World Cup match between Australia and Denmark at Federation Square in Melbourne.
The original video was published on Dec 1, 2022.
The video contains a tag identifying its original owner.
A reverse-image search using Google Lens also found that the footage had previously appeared in a report by SBS News, part of Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service.
Visual details confirmed that both videos showed Australian football fans gathering to watch the 2022 World Cup match between Australia and Denmark. The original footage had been available since Dec 1, 2022.
A post identifying the footage as Australian football fans celebrating during the 2022 World Cup, left, compared with a report published by SBS News, right.
Location shown in the video
The video was posted at 9.57am, yet the footage clearly shows a night-time scene. This obvious discrepancy provides further evidence that the clip was recorded on a different occasion.
Thai PBS Verify also contacted the owner of the original footage, who confirmed that he had filmed it himself in Melbourne in 2022.
The video owner confirms that he filmed the footage himself in Melbourne, Australia, in 2022.
What are the facts?
An X user named “Hayden” posted the video on Nov 4, 2026, showing a large crowd cheering and celebrating. The accompanying English-language message claimed the footage captured extraordinary scenes in Melbourne after Texas had turned blue and Donald Trump had lost the US midterm elections.
The post attracted more than 1.2 million views. However, Thai PBS Verify classified it as misleading content for the following reasons:
- Original owner confirms filming it in 2022: Thai PBS Verify contacted James Smart, the owner of the original footage. He confirmed that he filmed the video in Melbourne during celebrations surrounding the 2022 World Cup match between Australia and Denmark on Dec 1, 2022.
- Footage matches an SBS News report: A reverse-image search confirmed that the video matched footage reported by SBS News, Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service. The report covered World Cup celebrations in 2022 and had no connection to the US midterm elections.
- The event took place at Federation Square: The footage was recorded at Federation Square in central Melbourne.
- Posting time conflicts with the scene: The video was posted on X at 9.57am, but the footage shows a night-time scene with lights and celebratory fireworks. This indicates that an older video from an unrelated event was presented in a false context.
Verification Process
- Tracking the original source: Investigators examined the credit tag visible in the video and traced the original footage to James Smart’s X account. His post described Australian football fans celebrating during the 2022 World Cup.
- Contacting the video owner: Thai PBS Verify contacted Smart directly. He confirmed that he filmed the video himself in Melbourne in 2022 and that it had no connection to the US elections.
- Conducting a Google Lens search: Keyframes from the video matched an SBS News report showing World Cup supporters at Federation Square on Dec 1, 2022.
- Verifying the location: Landmarks visible in the video were compared with virtual map imagery, confirming that the gathering took place at Federation Square in Melbourne.
- Analysing the timeline: The X post was published at 9.57am, while the video clearly shows a night-time setting with decorative lights and fireworks.
Impact of the misleading content
- Creating confusion over US election results: Linking footage of a celebrating crowd to election results could lead viewers to believe that results in a key state such as Texas had already been officially confirmed.
- Influencing public opinion and fuelling political division: Connecting an overseas crowd’s reaction to a political event can provoke emotional responses and shape the views of political supporters online.
- Exploiting a major news event for engagement: The post used worldwide interest in the US midterm elections to generate more than 1.2 million views by misrepresenting an older viral sports video.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Check credit tags in videos: Reposted footage often retains a watermark or tag naming its original owner. Visiting the original account can quickly reveal the video’s source and proper context.
- Compare the posting time with the surroundings: Check whether the time of publication matches conditions shown in the footage. A video posted in the morning but showing complete darkness may be an older clip being reused.
- Check official election results: State-level election results should be verified through official election authorities or reliable news organisations.
- Report misleading posts: If footage from an unrelated event is falsely presented as a political incident, users can report it as misleading information on X to help limit its spread.
- Main changes: I tightened the headline to under 70 characters, placed the key finding in the opening paragraph, converted the Thai dates to 2022 and 2026, and used concise British news style while preserving the original sections and captions.
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