Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been spreading a false claim that Vice President Kamala Harris used artificial intelligence to fake the crowd size at her Detroit rally. Despite evidence from news sources like AP and NBC News showing a large turnout, Trump insists the images were doctored.
Trump’s new accusations come as he shifts focus back to personal attacks rather than addressing policies. On social media, Trump alleged, “She was turned in by a maintenance worker at the airport when he noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there, later confirmed by the reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane.”
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The New York Times, which reported on the Detroit event, saw the actual crowd and confirmed it matched the campaign’s reports. Despite this, Trump claimed, “There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d it.”
Trump also accused Harris of election interference, saying, “It’s the same thing with her made-up ‘crowds’ at her speeches.” He added, “She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!”
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Pictures and videos from reliable sources, including AP and NBC News, show a large crowd at Harris’s rally. In response to Trump’s claims, rally attendees and Harris’s team shared photos online. Lavora Barnes, Chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, humorously responded, “Honoured that whoever made the AI image of 15,000 excited Democrats welcoming (Harris and Walz) was kind enough to include me at the lectern.” She added, “That AI crowd was really loud, my ears just stopped ringing from their imaginary cheering.”