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The Republican House Judiciary Committee recently posted an AI-generated photo of Donald Trump holding a duck and a kitten while submerged chest-deep in water, his eyes shut.
The image was shared with the caption, “Protect our kittens and ducks in Ohio!”
Cats and ducks for Trump!!! đčđč
Omg funniest thing since I wrote some jokes this morning.pic.twitter.com/iscBIAfpnAâ Redpill Project (Parody) (@RedpillParody) September 10, 2024
Despite its unrealistic appearance â with Trumpâs features and the animals looking unnaturally smooth â the image lacked any disclaimer indicating it was created using AI.
The image, however, served a purpose beyond aesthetics; it was intended to reinforce a false narrative that Haitian immigrants in the U.S. are killing and consuming local pets, a claim that multiple credible sources have largely debunked.
â Mamajpm1776 (@mamajpm1776) September 10, 2024
Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of Trump and owner of the social media platform X, reshared the AI-generated image with a smiling emoji.
â Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2024
The image was not meant to depict Trump as affectionate towards animals but rather to bolster a misleading narrative that Haitians entering the U.S. are harming pets, a rumor based on discredited reports and social media hearsay.
The origin of this false claim dates back to a recent incident involving a 27-year-old woman in Canton, Ohio, named Allexis Ferrell, who was accused of killing and eating a cat.
The incident, shared widely by Malaysia-based right-wing influencer Ian Miles Cheong to his 1.1 million followers, was inaccurately presented as involving a Haitian immigrant.
Musk has lost his mind. Fear porn on X with AI that Elon said could be used in terrible ways…then WHY are you using AI in terrible ways dummy?
â BobbiAnn22 (@sportphotos) September 10, 2024
Cheong, who has past ties with RT, a Russian state-backed media outlet, shared the claim without evidence, stating that the alleged cat-killer was a Haitian immigrant.
Shortly after, another right-wing user shared a photo of a man carrying a goose, presenting it as further evidence that Haitian migrants were involved in animal theft in Ohio.
Accompanying the image was a screenshot of a viral post supposedly from a Springfield, Ohio, Facebook group, where a local resident claimed, “rangers & police” had informed them that immigrants had stolen and eaten family pets such as cats and dogs and taken ducks and geese from a park.
Another similar post appeared the day before on another right-wing account, “End Wokeness.”
Despite these claims, the Springfield Police Department quickly denied the validity of these rumors. They confirmed to the Springfield News-Sun that the allegations of animal theft by immigrants were “not something that’s on our radar right now.”
Furthermore, no credible media outlets reported that Ferrell was a Haitian immigrant. In fact, basic online searches revealed that Ferrell had been residing in the U.S. since before the Biden administration.
Hilarious and awesome!
đ€©
Sad that itâs true and not satire đą
â StudyLate (@derkdiggl3r) September 10, 2024
Nevertheless, the rumors quickly spread on X, with influential figures such as Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, and Benny Johnson, a known reactionary commentator, joining in.
Even Elon Musk added to the conversation, underscoring the false narrative by resharing the claims. Kirk, for instance, posted a conspiratorial rant about the “Biden-Harris mass immigration replacement plan.”
The House Judiciary Committee later endorsed these rumors with their AI-generated image, implying â without any verified evidence â that Haitian immigrants were out to harm Ohioâs animals and suggesting that Trump would be the one to save them.
Is so sick but this video is so funny
â lifelibertyhappiness (@karen18386312) September 10, 2024
The committee’s use of AI led to a series of copycat posts, with some users sharing images of Trump rescuing animals or leaping from helicopters to save them, accompanied by captions like, “Save the kittens” and “Protect the ducks.”
Local law enforcement made it clear that they had received no reports of stolen animals at the hands of Haitian immigrants, and there is no evidence to suggest that the cat-killing incident in Canton involved a recent immigrant or anyone from Haiti.
Despite the glaring lack of evidence, the narrative continued to spread, fueled by the AI-generated content and the participation of prominent political figures.
If you actually cared to read the responses you’d see everyone is laughing at it. Kinda like what they do to you. Pay your victims yet?
â Quintus Young (@young_quintus) September 10, 2024
The use of AI in this context by a powerful group of elected representatives charged with ensuring justice raises concerns about the misuse of technology in the political sphere.
The spread of false narratives such as this is particularly troubling given the current climate, where misinformation can shape public perception and electoral outcomes.
Springfield, Ohio, has seen an influx of Haitian immigrants in recent months, with many fleeing from political and gang violence in their home country.
Him knitting at the end of the Sarah M commercial is the absolute best. đđđđđđ
â Jenn American (@JennSummers10) September 10, 2024
The town has unintentionally become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration. Yet, despite the volume of false reports on social media, local law enforcement has not documented any incidents of pets being stolen or consumed by immigrants.
The use of AI to fabricate images supporting these false allegations only serves to further inflame partisan tensions and propagate misleading claims.
Remember when Trump signed animal cruelty bill into law?
â Spence âïž (@tspencer322) September 10, 2024
With Trump’s campaign heavily relying on such AI-generated content, similar tactics may become more common as the election season progresses.
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