Trump Shares Doctored Images Claiming Taylor Swift Support

AFP/APP

Washington: Donald Trump recently posted manipulated images on his social media platform, Truth Social, suggesting that pop star Taylor Swift and her fans, known as Swifties, are supporting his presidential campaign.

This move appears to be an attempt to leverage Swift’s significant popularity in the upcoming US election.

Swift, who has not yet publicly endorsed any presidential candidate for the November 5 election, supported President Joe Biden in 2020 and has been critical of Trump in the past.

Trump’s posts included doctored images, such as one depicting Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit urging her fans to vote for him. Digital forensics expert Hany Farid from the University of California, Berkeley, identified these images as either AI-generated or heavily manipulated.

One image featured a woman wearing a “Swifties for Trump” shirt, which Farid noted exhibited signs of being AI-generated, despite some images appearing authentic. Trump also shared a video of a supporter claiming that Swifties were rallying for him.

The posts have been met with mockery and criticism from Swift’s fans, who have called for her to take legal action against Trump. Despite her considerable influence and impact on voter registration—such as the 35,000 new registrations following her recent voting drive—Swift has remained largely silent on her political leanings.

Recent speculation on social media suggests that Swift may endorse Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, although Swift has not confirmed this.

The rise of AI-driven political misinformation has raised concerns about its potential to sway voters, with campaign group Accountable Tech emphasizing the need for urgent intervention to address these issues.