Benny Johnson posts AI-generated video of Batman beating migrants
MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson posted an AI-generated video showing him as Batman violently attacking caricatured migrants wearing sombreros and ponchos, including a woman, after participating in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago. The video used deepfake technology and racist stereotypes to depict migrants as enemies.
What happened
MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson posted a 22-second AI-generated video on X showing him as Batman exiting the Batmobile outside a Walmart, then punching and kicking caricatures of people wearing sombreros and ponchos, styled after the 1960s Batman television series with 'POW! THWACK!' graphics.
The video depicted Johnson's Batman character striking at least one woman in the face, whose hat comes flying off. Johnson posted the video after spending the past weekend with Immigration and Customs Enforcement during raids in Chicago, where he wore a Border Patrol flack jacket and accompanied Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Reported impact
The video sparked outrage for portraying migrants as adversaries deserving of violence, using racist stereotypes such as large sombreros and ponchos to depict them as caricatures.
Index analysis
The AI-generated video used deepfake technology to create a synthetic depiction of Johnson as a superhero engaging in violence against caricatured migrants, amplifying anti-immigrant messaging after the Chicago ICE raids.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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