“Crowd” as a point of contention
Trump lies about alleged AI photo at Harris rally
August 13, 2024, 11:38 am
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No politician draws more crowds than Donald Trump. At least that’s what the former president himself believes, and the crowd at Romulus when Kamala Harris arrived couldn’t be more real. The Republican Party wants to keep the evidence for this – and in the end there is no evidence.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has spread false information about his Democratic rival Kamala Harris appearing on the campaign trail. The image showing thousands of people waiting for Harris to arrive at a Detroit airport was created using artificial intelligence, Trump said.
“Did anyone notice Kamala cheating at the airport?” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There was nobody on the plane, she processed it with artificial intelligence and showed a large ‘crowd’ of so-called supporters, but they weren’t there!” According to Trump, a maintenance worker discovered the “fake” because no people were seen in a reflection on the plane. “She’s a fraud,” he continued.
Reporters, photographers and video journalists from the AP and other media who traveled with Harris or on the airport tarmac as he arrived ahead of a rally documented the size of the crowd last Wednesday.
Hani Farid, a University of California professor specializing in digital forensics and digital disinformation, found no evidence of image manipulation. Harris’ campaign team also denied the manipulation and commented on social media. 15,000 people participated in the airport rally.
McCarthy Offers Trump Campaign Tips
Trump had already started spreading lies about the record days after he was questioned about Harris’ rallies at a press conference at his Florida estate. Nobody draws a bigger crowd than him, Trump insisted.
Party colleague Kevin McCarthy offered some pointers towards Trump in light of the campaign. Trump should stop questioning the size of the crowds at Vice President Harris’ campaign events and instead focus on his candidacy.
“You have to make sure this race is not about personal things,” McCarthy said in an interview on Fox News. “This is the perfect person to run against,” McCarthy said. “You thought John Kerry was a turncoat? He was the biggest turncoat, with the most extreme positions,” McCarthy said. “So don’t sit back, go out and start a case, use your own words to show her,” the former House Speaker said.
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