Fact Check: Did Mike Pence get hit by a water balloon? Viral video debunked

A video of Presidential candidate Mike Pence being hit by a water balloon has recently gone viral as it received several comments on Twitter. Most of the comments see users mocking the presidential candidate. However, the viral video was misrepresented.

The video that was circulated on Twitter showed Mike Pence getting hit by a water balloon that a young girl threw. A user, @avoidthehanoid, circulated the video and it went viral on July 14, 2023, following which gained more attention after an interview took place between Mike Pence and ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Although the video was from July 4, 2023, the man who got hit by the water balloons was not Pence. The man in the video was Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Moreover, CBS New York reported that the tossing of water balloons is nothing but a tradition.

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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was mistaken for presidential candidate Mike Pence in the viral video on Twitter

On July 14, 2023, a video went viral of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, getting pelted by water balloons. However, in thorough fact-check, it has been revealed that Twitter users misunderstood the man as presidential candidate Mike Pence and created a mockery out of it. Several tweets were posted making fun of the entire situation. However, the entire incident was falsely perceived. The caption of the viral post said:

"Give this girl the cy young for hitting Mike Pence in the melon with a water balloon."

Later, the actual context was added so that misrepresentation could be avoided. It read:

“The man hit by the balloon is Nassau County (New York) Executive Bruce Blakeman, who shared the video on his own Twitter profile. This occurred on July 4, 2023, during the Street Manor Parade, an event known for featuring water balloons.”

Several viral tweet then followed as it spoke about the incident. Much of the tweets mentioned the following line by user @Rob1865_:

"After saying he doesn’t care about struggling American cities. Mike Pence is hit by kids throwing water balloons."

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Blakeman mentioned on Facebook how fun the July 4 event was

CBS New York reported that the tradition of throwing around water balloons can be traced back to “nearly 20 years.” It further stated:

“[It] started as a way to bring everyone together giving them a chance to interact and have fun.”

Blakeman also took to Facebook to describe how fun the event was and said:

“The water balloons and soaker guns are a long tradition at the Stewart Manor parade.”

Joking about the girl who threw the balloon at him at the parade, Blakeman said that she probably can have a career with the Mets or New York Yankees.

Comment of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman under his post (Image via Facebook)

The news outlet further reported that it was a fun event and did not include Mike Pence at all. The parade happened in Stewart Manor on July 4, 2023, where thousands of people gathered to enjoy and were also dressed in patriotic outfits with American flags. The parade began at 10.30 am local time, after which the water fight began. Since the viral video contained Blakeman and not Pence, it can be considered to be miscaptioned.