Kamala crushes, Trump loses it

Donald Trump claims Kamala Harris rally crowd was AI-generated

"Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she 'AI’d' it, and showed a massive 'crowd' of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST!"

— Donald Trump, Truth Social post, Aug. 11, 2024 source

Trump's claim is baseless. Thousands attended Kamala Harris' Aug. 7 rally in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. This was confirmed by local news outlets and journalists from Getty Images and the Associated Press.

Hany Farid, a professor at UC Berkeley and an expert on image analysis, said he has "no doubt" the photo is real. He analyzed the photo using AI detection models and found no evidence of manipulation.

A Harris campaign spokesperson confirmed the photo was taken by staff and not altered.

The Spread of the AI-Generated Photo Narrative

• Conservative commentator Chuck Callesto made the same false claim on X (14.4 million views as of Aug. 12).
• Blog sites in Italy and India also questioned the authenticity of rally photos.
• Others claimed reflections on Air Force Two at the rally proved there was no crowd.

PolitiFact's Ruling

We rate Trump's claim as "Pants on Fire!"