House Republican leaders on Friday unveiled their “Commitment to America” agenda for 2023 ― and with it, an inspirational video chock full of scenes presented as exceptional imagery of America but that are actually stock footage from Russia and Ukraine.
“We celebrate the rich heritage of the American story and the vibrancy of the American Dream,” the voice says, over footage of a drilling rig at sunrise.
But this video snippet, an apparent nod to America’s natural resources, wasn’t even filmed in America. It’s stock footage created by Serg Grbanoff, a filmmaker based in Russia.
Grbanoff told HuffPost that he filmed this scene in Russia’s Volgograd region. Here’s a screenshot of the image in the House Republican leaders’ video, versus an original shot on Shutterstock’s website:
Advertisement
It’s not the only instance where Grbanoff’s work appears in the GOP’s video celebrating America.
In another scene, a boy is seen smiling and running in a field with a toy airplane. The words “Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” appear on the screen, a reference to the Declaration of Independence.
This clip was also created by Grbanoff, and also filmed in the Volgograd region of Russia. Here’s a screenshot of the image in the GOP’s video versus an original shot on Shutterstock’s website:
At another point in the video, Republicans take a shot at Democrats on the economy.
“Democrats have led America off track,” the narrator says. The words “Crippling inflation and rampant crime” appear on the screen, over a shot of a woman walking through a grocery store.
Advertisement
But this is footage from a European grocery store. If you look closely at the screenshot, you can see a tag hanging on one of the store shelves that says “AKCIA,” a Slovak word meaning “action.” Informally, “AKCIA” is used to designate sales in Slovakian stores.
House Republicans almost certainly used imagery from Ukraine in their video about America, too.
The video includes a clip of a farmer carrying a bag on his shoulder in a field of corn, as the words “And the vibrancy of the American Dream” appear on the screen.
This is also stock footage sourced from a Shutterstock contributor, DedovStock. The man featured in the clip works for DedovStock, and has a page of his work on its website. His page features shots of him in Ukraine and the Carpathian Mountains, which stretch through Ukraine and parts of Eastern Europe.
HuffPost reached out to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for comment on why GOP leaders rolled out their plan for America with a video featuring stock footage from Russia.
Advertisement
“Interesting how you guys aren’t remotely interested on the issues facing the American people in the video,” responded McCarthy spokesman Mark Bednar.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.