As Washington, D.C., under President Donald Trump, prepares to host its first military parade in nearly 35 years on June 14, a Craigslist ad seeking “seat fillers” along Constitution Avenue for the big day drew speculation.
“T-Mellon Events is looking for seat fillers and extras to provide their time for space maximization and attendance perception for an event taking place in Washington DC on June 14th,” the June 10 ad read, offering compensation of “$1,000, paid in cryptocurrency — provided by FIGHT FITE FIGHT LLC.”
Some shared images of the ad as if it were legitimate; others said it was fake.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly called it “obviously a fake ad” in an email to PolitiFact. Although a genuine posting exists on Craigslist, there are signs it’s a hoax. PolitiFact reached out to the email address listed on the ad but received no response.
The military parade is being held to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary on June 14, which coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday. It’s part of daylong activities that start with an 8:30 a.m. wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery and a festival on the National Mall before the 6:30 p.m. parade set to run along Constitution Avenue NW. The parade will begin near the Lincoln Memorial and finish at 15th Street near the Washington Monument.
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The ad’s offer to pay what it called “Extras and Seat fillers” draws on familiar conspiracy theories that political events are staged or involve paid actors.
For starters, the photo used in the ad wasn’t taken in the United States. It was taken by The Associated Press on May 9 during a Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia.
And “T-Mellon Events,” the company supposedly behind the ad? Searching court documents, Nexis news archives and the OpenCorporates business registry, we found no indication this company exists. A Google search turned up only stories and posts questioning this Craigslist ad.
A businessman named Timothy Mellon was a major donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, so it’s possible the name was constructed as a spoof.
“Fight Fite Fight LLC” is not a legitimate company either, our searches found. The ad’s original posting, which we found archived on Wayback Machine on June 11, spelled the company as “Fight Fight Fight LLC,” which is the name of the group that administers Trump’s meme coin.
Fight Fight Fight did not respond to PolitiFact’s inquiry. Snopes reported in its own fact-check that a customer support representative for the meme coin’s website, gettrumpmemes.com, told the outlet it’s fake.
The ad also contained phrasing that some could interpret as intended satire. It encouraged people of color to apply for “maximum perception control” and required paid attendees to wear red, white and blue. Gold “accessories” are “acceptable,” as well — a nod to Trump’s flashy tastes. For yearshe has liberally incorporated the color gold into his building sites, campaign merchandise and, now, the Oval Office. The ad also says attendees would be provided red hats to wear, a reference to Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” campaign caps.
Since no one has taken credit for the ad’s creation, PolitiFact was unable to verify its intent. We hate to rain on the parade, but in the absence of credible evidence showing otherwise, signs point to unlikely crypto compensation for attendance on June 14.
We rate the claim that companies called “T-Mellon Events” and “Fight Fite Fight LLC” are offering to pay “seat fillers” in Washington, D.C., on June 14, False.
PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.
