Deepfake influencer accounts use stolen images for pro-Trump campaign on X
Fake accounts on X (formerly Twitter) used artificially-altered images of real European women, including German fashion influencer Debbie Nederlof, to promote pro-Trump messaging and conspiracy theories about Vice President Kamala Harris. At least 17 women from the Netherlands, Denmark and Russia had their photos stolen and used by unknown users or AI bots, with many accounts obtaining blue verification checkmarks.
What happened
An account named @Luna_2K24 on X gained nearly 30,000 followers by posting suggestive selfies with pro-Trump captions since joining the platform in March 2024. The account falsely presented itself as a 32-year-old MAGA Trump supporter from Wisconsin while promoting pro-Trump messaging and conspiracy theories about Vice President Kamala Harris.
The 'Luna' account used stolen photographs of German fashion influencer Debbie Nederlof, whose images were artificially altered to feature Trump slogans on clothing. At least 17 other European women from the Netherlands, Denmark and Russia had their photos similarly stolen and artificially altered to promote pro-Trump messaging, with 15 of the fake accounts bearing blue verification checkmarks.
Reported impact
Debbie Nederlof told CNN she was 'angry and frustrated' that her face was used to push pro-Trump messaging without her knowledge or consent. She stated: 'What the hell do I—from a small place in Germany—care about U.S. politics?'
A CNN investigation in collaboration with the Centre for Information Resilience assessed 56 MAGA accounts and identified many resharing content with Trump-related hashtags while featuring English language errors that could indicate foreign interference.
Index analysis
Many of the fake accounts shared artificially altered images of beautiful young women wearing clothing digitally modified to display Trump slogans. The accounts displayed patterns of coordination, resharing each other's content with hashtags including #MAGAPatriots, #MAGA2024, and #IFBAP.
Governance controls
The X account @Luna_2K24 was deleted by the time of CNN's publication of its investigation.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.