Donald Trump Posts Dubious Taylor Swift Photos, Infuriating Swifties

• Donald Trump appears to have shared AI-generated images of Taylor Swift and her fans.
• The images, which have telltale signs of AI use, show Swift and fans endorsing him in the election.
• Swift has not endorsed either major candidate and previously supported the Biden-Harris campaign.

Donald Trump has stirred up controversy with Taylor Swift’s fan base, the Swifties. The former president recently posted several images on his Truth Social account, suggesting that Taylor Swift and her fans were endorsing him for the 2024 election. The post included the phrase: “I accept.”

However, many of the images in question exhibit characteristics typical of AI-generated content. One notable image depicts Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, with a caption declaring, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” Other images show fans wearing “Swifties for Trump” shirts, further indicating the use of AI technology.

Swift has not given her endorsement to either major party candidate. In the past, she has shown support for the Biden-Harris campaign and has publicly criticized Trump for his views, which she described as “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism.”

Despite one image featuring a real Trump supporter, Jenna Piwowarczyk, the majority of the photos have left Swift’s fans outraged over what they believe to be the misuse of her likeness.

One user on X voiced their concerns, urging fellow Swifties to get the singer’s attention regarding the issue. They stated, “It’s disgusting. We know Tay does not support Trump or the use of AI to spread misinformation using her likeness. She needs to get her legal team to respond ASAP.”

Many fans echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Swift should take legal action against Trump for using her image without permission.

The rapid rise of AI-generated content has ignited debates across various platforms. With the advent of easy-to-use tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, the online space has seen a flood of fabricated images. These innovations have generated fake visuals of influential figures, misleading social media users and raising alarms over their potential impact on public opinion and voter behavior.

Earlier this year, a report by the BBC highlighted instances of Trump supporters creating and distributing deepfake images of Black voters, intending to sway them toward the Republican party.

In response to Trump’s post featuring Swift, one user asserted, “She would NEVER endorse you. You’re talking about the queen of the childless cat ladies here. Girlfriend has her own damn army.”

Another Twitter user added, “I hope this triggers Taylor Swift to come all out in support of Harris. You don’t play with the Swifties.”

If Swift were to endorse a candidate, her influence could be significant given her massive fan base, which is believed to be nearly as large as the number of votes cast in the 2020 presidential election. Swifties are known for their intense loyalty and ability to mobilize, making any misstep against their beloved artist a potentially grave error for any political campaign.

As of now, the Trump campaign has not provided any comments regarding the backlash from Swift’s fans.

Source: Business Insider