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Quick Take
An ad from Vice President Kamala Harris features a Pennsylvania farming couple who say they are “lifelong Republicans” but are voting for Harris. Social media users, citing a video from an Australian news site, falsely claim the couple are “actors” and Democratic donors. The news site has corrected its report.
Full Story
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign released an ad titled “Not Again” on Sept. 24 targeting voters in rural Pennsylvania, where former President Donald Trump received significant support in the 2016 and 2020 elections. (Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016, but lost in 2020.)
The ad features Kristina and Robert Lange, owners of Sugartown Strawberries Farm in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia in Chester County. The Langes, who describe themselves as “lifelong Republicans,” say that they will be voting for Harris in the upcoming election.
“I voted for [Trump] twice,” Robert Lange says in the ad. “I won’t vote for him again.”
“Donald Trump divides people,” Kristina Lange says, as the ad flashes Trump’s mugshot after he was indicted in Georgia and photos from the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally in 2017.
Following the release of the ad, the Langes said they were the target of harassment, including threatening calls to their business.
The Langes have also become the target of misinformation. Social media users have claimed that Robert and Kristina Lange are not farmers and lifelong Republicans, as they say in the ad, but actors with a history of supporting Democrats.
An Oct. 2 Instagram post shared a clip from Sky News Australia, a conservative news channel, with the caption, “Kamala campaign LIES AGAIN!!!”
In the Sept. 26 clip, Sky News host Rita Panahi said, “This pair of farmers shown in the ad appear to in fact be two actors, Robert Lange and Kristina Chadwick, and they have an extensive history… of donating to the Democrats and leftist causes, dating back to at least 2016.”
An Oct. 3 Instagram post shared the same clip, with the caption, “Harris-Walz Campaign BUSTED For Using Paid Actors?”
But the Langes are not actors — or, at least, not professional actors. In 2022, the couple wrote and produced a film, “Hayride to Hell,” in which they appeared in minor roles. Robert Lange told 6ABC in Philadelphia at the time that the farm, which served as the set for the film, had been in his family since 1896.
In 2014, Robert Lange, known locally as Farmer Bob, was named Farmer of the Year by the Chester County Board of Commissioners.
According to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan website that tracks money in politics, Robert Lange did donate $200 to the campaign of then-Pennsylvania State Sen. Andrew Dinniman, a Chester County Democrat, in 2012. But he hasn’t made a donation to a Democrat — or any candidate– since then.
Kristina Lange, whose maiden name is Chadwick, has no history of donations, according to OpenSecrets.
The FEC records referenced in the Sky News report are different from the Robert Langes and a Kristina Chadwick from other cities in Pennsylvania.
In 2019, Robert Lange successfully ran for a seat on the Willistown Township Board of Supervisors as a Republican. He is currently the board chair.
On Oct. 1, Sky News issued a correction to its previous reporting: “We correct the record that the people involved are not actors and do not appear to be Democrat donors.”
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
Alvarez, Priscilla. “Harris campaign targets red, rural counties as it tries to narrow Trump’s margins.” CNN. 3 Oct 2024.
Barnett, Emma. “‘Demstock’ brings together rural Pennsylvania Democrats who want to ‘jam things up’ for Trump.” NBC. 26 Aug 2024.
Chester County Agricultural Development Council. “Chester County Commissioners present agricultural rewards.” Press release. 19 Sep 2014.
Farley, Robert, et al. “Q&A on Trump’s Jan. 6 Indictment.” FactCheck.org. 1 Aug 2023.
Harris, Kamala. “Not Again | Harris-Walz 2024.” Video. YouTube. 24 Sep 2024.
Kiely, Eugene, and Robert Farley. “Trump Press Conference, in Context.” FactCheck.org. 16 Aug 2017.
Pennsylvania Department of State. 2016 Presidential Election, Official Returns. 8 Nov 2016.
Pennsylvania Department of State. 2020 Presidential Election, Official Returns. 3 Nov 2020.
Pindar, Leland. “Lifelong Republican couple in Chester County faces intense backlash for role in Kamala Harris ad.” 6 ABC. 30 Sep 2024.
“Robert Lange (aka Farmer Bob) — Farmer and Owner, Sugartown Strawberries.” Chester County Ag Council. Accessed 9 Oct 2024.
Vitarelli, Alicia. “Sugartown Strawberries farmer turned filmmaker debuts ‘Hayride to Hell.’” 6ABC. 26 Oct 2022.