Viral Jimmy Kimmel Clip Of Mike Pence Carrying 'Empty Boxes' Debunked

Earlier today, the Twitter account for late-night talkshow Jimmy Kimmel Live shared a clip of Vice President Mike Pence carrying boxes of supplies to a North Virginia nursing home. In the video, Kimmel jokes about Pence lifting empty boxes as a publicity stunt, criticizing the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The clip shows Pence delivering boxes to the door of the nursing home and returning to a nearby van for more. When he asks about the remaining boxes, he is told that they were empty.

"Well, can I carry the empty ones? Just for the cameras?" joked Vice President Pence.

Unfortunately for Kimmel, Pence didn't carry those boxes.

In the segment, Kimmel focused on this hot-mic recording Pence asking about the empty boxes, cutting the video before Pence shuts the doors to the van. The video implies that he went on to bring the empty boxes into the nursing home for a photo opportunity. Kimmel continues to mock Pence throughout the clip, claiming that the video is a metaphor for the administration.

The tweet featured the caption, "A big box of nothing, delivering another box of nothing…@Mike_Pence."

The video has since Kimmel's Twitter account. However, the misleading video went viral.

Mike Pence caught on hot mic delivering empty boxes of PPE for a PR stunt. pic.twitter.com/IduvGhiPwj

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) May 8, 2020

As others pointed out online, the video cuts before Pence shuts the door and returns to discuss the support efforts made by the government.

This isn't true. The clip cuts out at a selective point. When you watch the CSPAN footage (9 min in), Pence makes the crack about carrying the empty ones and the guy says "Absolutely. They're a lot easier!" Pence laughs then immediately shuts the van door. https://t.co/SOD5KAAPkH https://t.co/1ZODmvg2PG

— David Mack (@davidmackau) May 8, 2020

That day "Kimmel" and "#PenceFraud" were top trending topics on Twitter. Many critics of Pence on the platform continued to use the video as proof of Pence's incompetence, citing the Vice President's lack of a face mask and gloves, as well as the "empty boxes."

Exposed as a fraud.

Video of Mike Pence @VP supposedly delivering PPE to an Alexandria, VA nursing home for the cameras

Jimmy Kimmel explains what was caught on a hot mic

The boxes were empty

No mask

No PPE

No integrity

Folks, we have to get them out of our White House pic.twitter.com/Zq35HayiKv

— Riotwomennn Temporary Because Copyright BS (@RiotwomennnTemp) May 8, 2020

Others used the edit to prove the opposite: That Kimmel, Democrats and the media were lying to push their agenda.

A small sampling of media people and Democrats pushing Jimmy Kimmel's deceptively edited video of Mike Pence delivering PPE. pic.twitter.com/GGUTL8JkyV

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 8, 2020

Kimmel later apologized for the clip.

"it would appear that
@vp was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt," he tweeted. "The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt. My apologies. I know how dearly this administration values truth."

it would appear that @vp was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt. The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt. My apologies. I know how dearly this administration values truth. https://t.co/hI9cO4lxcX

— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 8, 2020