Trump’s AI-generated post sparks backlash from Taylor Swift fans

Donald Trump seems to have falsely indicated he has Taylor Swift’s endorsement, posting fake pictures of the musician and her fans supporting him on social media.

A recent social media post by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has ignited controversy among Taylor Swift’s fanbase, known as Swifties.

The post featured images, some of which were reportedly created using artificial intelligence (AI), and included the message “I accept!” alongside various pro-Trump imagery involving Swift and her fans.

Backlash from Swifties

The post quickly drew criticism from Swifties, who accused Trump of spreading misinformation. One of the images shared by Trump depicted Swift fans wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Swifties for Trump,” accompanied by a label that read “satire” with a headline suggesting that Swift fans were turning to Trump after an alleged threat to one of her concerts.

This particular image references Swift’s recent cancellation of three concerts in Vienna due to a possible security threat, with two individuals being arrested on suspicion of planning attacks inspired by the Islamic State group.

AI-Generated Content and Public Response

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Another re-posted image in Trump’s post mimicked a World War One U.S. army recruiting poster, replacing Uncle Sam’s face with Swift’s and urging people to vote for Trump.

NBC News reported that two of the images featured real women who are Trump supporters, although the authenticity of the images and their AI origins have raised concerns.

Swift’s Political Stance

Taylor Swift, who has been vocal about her political views, supported the Democratic Party in the 2020 election and criticized Trump during the nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd.

In a 2020 tweet directed at Trump, Swift condemned his rhetoric, stating, “After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? We will vote you out in November.”

Deepfake Concerns

The controversy follows earlier reports, including a BBC investigation that uncovered the use of deepfake technology to create images of black people seemingly supporting Trump.

While there was no direct evidence linking these images to Trump’s campaign, the use of AI-generated content in political discourse has raised significant ethical and legal questions.