Viral Image of Trump in Hurricane Helene Floodwaters Confirmed as AI-Generated!

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, on September 30 to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

The hurricane, which made landfall on September 26, resulted in the deaths of more than 130 people across six Southeastern states, including parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast and the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia.

literally so scary how many ppl will see this and believe it

— bradley || team NO ONE 🌿 (@mushqoom) October 1, 2024

Trump’s visit to Valdosta aimed to highlight the extent of the devastation left in the hurricane’s wake.

Following Trump’s visit, an image began circulating on social media, purporting to show the former president wading through floodwaters.

Also, this has been a thing for like 10 years of “Facebook keeps deleting things” when Facebook never deletes anything. Like, why are boomers like this?

— Hugostiglits 👨‍💻🥥🌴 (@Woobert37) October 1, 2024

This image garnered over 149,000 views on Facebook since it was posted on the same day as his visit, with some social media users suggesting that the image was being deleted from the platform.

Several readers contacted VERIFY, asking whether the image of Trump in floodwaters was genuine. Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the image was not real but was instead generated using artificial intelligence software.

What’s more insane is how many MAGA still think Trump is campaigning against Biden still.

— Julian Quinn (@You_Sure_Bruh) October 2, 2024

Generative AI, a technology capable of creating content such as images, videos, and text from prompts, was used to create the misleading image.

VERIFY’s analysis of the image identified multiple signs that it was AI-generated. AI tools often struggle with certain details, such as accurately rendering human features, letters, and textures.

In the image of Trump, his right hand appeared distorted, resembling a claw. The text on a yellow hat worn by another person in the image was blurry and unreadable, as were the name tags of those shown.

#trump supporters see pictures of #trump like this and actually believe that they’re real

— WhosAGoodBoy (@TweetyThings1) October 2, 2024

In addition to these distortions, the individuals in the image did not appear to have wet clothing despite supposedly walking through floodwaters.

This was another clear indication of manipulation, as the real Trump was photographed wearing a suit, red tie, and a Make America Great Again hat during his visit to Georgia.

Trying to imagine him actually walking through that much water and not immediately falling over lol

— Bret Matthew (@BretAM5) October 1, 2024

Media coverage from outlets such as the Associated Press, Getty Images, Fox News, and NBC News corroborated that Trump did not visit any flooded areas during his trip.

This incident illustrates the growing challenge of distinguishing between real and fabricated content online, especially as generative AI becomes more sophisticated.

Real-time of Trump leaving North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/pM1rGcWvlf

— 🚫🍊🐖Sugiebabi Be Smilin’ (@Tacoma2220) October 1, 2024

While the image of Trump wading through floodwaters was a fabrication, it highlights the broader issue of AI’s potential to mislead viewers and distort public perception of real events.

Adding to the political tension, Vice President Kamala Harris faced similar scrutiny regarding a photo she posted on social media, which appeared to show her receiving a briefing about the ongoing recovery efforts in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.

You know it’s AI when Trump isn’t wearing his ridiculous loser red hat. I teach all my grandchildren the golden rule: “See a red hat, cross the street”

— Eddie LaBongchek (@EddieLabongchek) October 1, 2024

Critics, including Trump, accused her of staging the photo, noting that her earbuds seemed disconnected from her phone.

Despite the angle of the photo making it unclear whether the earbuds were plugged in, the post sparked widespread debate, with some questioning the authenticity of her involvement in the relief efforts.

🤣Find me another picture of him EVER wearing Jeans! There’s NO WAY this would EVER happen!!!

— AML (@aml1322) October 2, 2024

These controversies underscore the importance of fact-checking and media literacy, particularly in an era where AI-generated content can easily go viral, creating confusion and spreading misinformation.

Both incidents demonstrate the need for careful scrutiny of digital content, especially when public figures and politically charged events are involved.

Literally millions of people will believe that’s real computers were a huge mistake

— Bill Farley (@ArchaeologyGame) October 1, 2024

While the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene continues to affect thousands, the focus must remain on supporting recovery efforts rather than being distracted by AI-generated images and unfounded accusations.

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