Singer Mary Millben Misidentified As White House Rep Criticising Rahul Gandhi

The singer clarified that she does not work for The White House.

A video showing journalist Rohan Dua interviewing a person where they can be heard criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is being shared on social media platforms.

• Those sharing have identified the person as one Mary Billman, a senior White House officer.

What does she say?: "I don't know Mr Rahul, so I certainly don't want to say any comments that would be unkind. But in listening to some of his speeches and his thoughts as it relates to his ambitions, I think it's very hard for any country of any citizens to sign up or vote for a leader who doesn't speak well of his country or her country. And I found that a lot of the comments that this gentleman would make, he spoke quite negatively about his country. And I think the mark of a great leader is to recognise the value of your heritage, to recognise the value of your country. And so I would just say, I believe that's why Prime Minister Modi is so beloved in India. And he's why he's so beloved across the world."

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is this true?: The claim is false.

• The interviewee in the clip is American singer Mary Millben, who is not a representative or staffer of the White House. Millben clarified this on her official X (Twitter) page.

• Millben, however, was a White House intern and White House Presidential Appointee under the Bush administration.

• She has also sung the national anthem and patriotic songs for four back-to-back US presidents - George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden and world leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What we found: At first, we did a relevant keyword search and came across the interview on a YouTube channel named, "The New Indian." It was uploaded on 30 June 2023.

• It was uploaded with a description which stated Millben was a "a renowned American singer and actor."

• The channel noted that she had performed for PM Modi and has expressed support for the leader.

• The channel did not term her a White House representative or officer. However, they did mention that Millben had performed for several US presidents.

Millben and White House: Replying to a user on X who claimed that she was a White House representative, Millben's official account clarified that she was does NOT work for the White House.

• We went on to the the artist's website which stated that Millben had worked as a White House intern and was appointed by George W Bush to served as a White House Presidential Appointee, taking on various roles as a junior staffer.

• Apart from this she has performed for several US presidents and international dignitaries.

We have reached out to the White House and Millben for their comments and the story will be updated once the response is received.

Conclusion: Millben, an American singer, has been misidentified as a White House representative.

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