AI-generated images of Trump and White House aide went viral
AI-generated fake images purporting to show President Trump kissing White House aide Natalie Harp circulated widely on social media, reaching millions of views despite obvious flaws such as distorted hands. Analysis confirmed the images were created using generative AI tools, and online debunkers quickly identified errors that revealed them as fakes.
What happened
Images purporting to show President Donald Trump kissing White House aide Natalie Harp on a golf course circulated on social media this week, amassing millions of views across multiple platforms.
The images were AI-generated fakes bearing telltale signs such as strangely distorted human hands, according to analysis using AI detection tools from OpenAI and Google.
Two versions of the imageโone clear and one blurryโfirst surfaced online Monday. X user Mykhailo Rohoza posted the clearer version and later said he slightly altered it using AI, though he did not create the original.
Reported impact
The images spread widely despite obvious errors. AI-generated image experts noted the incident signals an increasingly common undermining of people's trust in the visual record.
The White House called it a 'fake photo' and attributed it to a political hit job, calling it 'coming from Democrats.'
Index analysis
Online debunkers quickly identified flaws in the images, including an extra finger visible on the female handโa known weakness of AI image models.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.