--- title: "Gullible Trump Cronies Losing Their Minds Over Fake AI Slop on Twitter" description: "Pro-Trump influencers including close Trump ally Laura Loomer were fooled by an AI-generated image of an alleged victim of Hurricane Helene." date: "2024-10-04" modified: "2024-10-04" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/trump-allies-fall-for-ai-slop" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "ai-generated content" - "misinformation" - "the digest" --- # Gullible Trump Cronies Losing Their Minds Over Fake AI Slop on Twitter ![Pro-Trump influencers including close Trump ally Laura Loomer were fooled by an AI-generated image of an alleged victim of Hurricane Helene.]() *\Image: X via Buzz Patterson\* ## AI Crocodile Tears Multiple pro-Trump influencers, including the [self-described "investigative journalist"]() Laura Loomer, were fooled by an AI-generated image [designed to depict post-Hurricane Helene aftermath](). The image in question features a young girl sitting on a canoe in the rain, clutching a tiny puppy as tears fall from her fear-stricken eyes. A [reverse image search]() for the photo reveals that the image started circulating on right-wing corners of the internet on Wednesday afternoon, but picked up steam later that evening when conservative writer and former Air Force pilot Robert "Buzz" Patterson shared it to X-formerly-Twitter with the caption "our government has failed us again." Loomer soon shared Patterson's post, writing "so sad" in the caption. Which it would be — if it weren't an obviously AI-generated fake. The version of the "photo" that Patterson and Loomer both shared is cropped. But certain artifacts in the cropped version are immediately suspect, particularly the young girl's uncannily smoothed features and distorted background figures. And the original photo, as [shared to X yesterday]() bears even more telling signs of AI use, such as the girl's oddly-shaped and overly smooth fingers. Neither commentator hinted that the image could be an AI-generated fake, and instead shared it as if it were real proof of a governmental failure to aid Americans in Hurricane-devastated regions of Tennessee and Western North Carolina. The incident highlights how ubiquitous [AI-generated slop]() has [become online]() and how it's already being used to politicize and radicalize the public — sometimes[ intentionally](), and sometimes unwittingly by gullible partisan pundits — in a fractured information ecosystem. ![]() ## So Sad Yet another right-wing poster shared the same photo earlier today, this time with a caption implying that Democratic vice president Kamala Harris chose to fund Ukrainian defense against Russia instead of disaster response programs — a wild oversimplification of government spending that fails to address [climate change]()'s role in worsening natural disasters. This is only the [latest instance]() of MAGA figures sharing AI-generated content on social media. But a lot of that content, for example Trump's use of AI to f[alsely portray]() his opponent as a communist dictator, hasn't been designed to look *real* so much as it's been crafted to underscore favorite narratives or attack lines. The latest image appears to be a more classic example of oblivious pundits embarrassingly hitting share on fake news or misinformation, while failing to give it a more critical eye. It's especially appalling given the sheer scale of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Appalachia. By spreading fake imagery of the disaster, Loomer and her media-illiterate peers are adding insult to injury — and not helping in any meaningful way. **More on MAGA and AI:** [*If You Zoom Into This "Photo" Trump Posted, You’ll Find Something Very Strange*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()