In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
As is the case with any significant event, conspiracy theorists and the easily fooled have set their sights on Hurricane Helene. The devastating storm has killed at least 135 people in six states. North Carolina has been hit particularly hard.
The disaster has, unsurprisingly, become a political football. Conservatives, for example, have accused the administration of President Joe Biden of doing nothing whatsoever to aid those affected, despite such claims being provably false.
Former President Donald Trump has taken advantage of the talking point by visiting battered states such as Georgia. Yet his appearance has led to an influx of misinformation that some conservatives are more than willing to believe.
Last week, a Facebook user shared a photo that appeared to show Trump wearing a life vest while walking through knee-deep water. The message was simple: Trump was willing to get his hands dirty while old Biden struggled back in the nation’s capital.
The user who shared the picture exclaimed: “I don’t think FB wants this picture on FB. They have been deleting it.”
Despite the image containing numerous defects, including missing fingers on Trump’s hand, some users were quick to shower praise on the former president.
“He’s got my vote! Trump 2024!!!” one user said.
Facebook users duped by fake photo of Trump in hurricane water
A reverse image search also shows that the photo is nowhere to be found on any news site. And although Trump did visit Valdosta, Georgia, on the day the photo was shared, the former president at no point was pictured treading through the water.
Nevertheless, Facebook’s elderly residents continued to cheer on Trump.
“It did happen in Valdosta, Georgia, today!” another user said. “He lives and cares for people, all people!”
But the picture was clearly produced with artificial intelligence (AI). And not even Trump himself has shared it, which he undoubtedly would if it were real.
Still, Trump was lavished with praise for his perceived heroics.
“Trump out helping again—if you have no real reason to hate Trump, you really should evaluate yourself and try to look at things objectively for a while…” another Facebook user ironically said.
Thankfully, a decent number of Trump fans were able to decipher the forgery.
“As a Trump supporter, it’s okay to recognize that this photo is AI-generated. Yes, he is helping with relief efforts in Georgia. No, this photo is not real,” another said. “The main piece of evidence that this is fake is President Trump’s right hand in this picture. We all know his hands don’t look like this. This photo also just has the general appearance of AI, which I know some people have trouble recognizing.”
Aside from going viral on Facebook, the image also made its way to the popular Subreddit r/BoomersBeingFools.
Sadly, this is our reality now. Desperately trying to convince millions to stop believing everything they see on the internet.
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