Former President Donald Trump has leveled accusations at Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming she used artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate images of her campaign rally crowds. The allegation, made via Trump's social media platform Truth Social, marks a new frontier in political mudslinging and highlights growing concerns about technology's role in the 2024 presidential race.
Trump's post, referring to a photograph of Harris' August 7 event in Michigan, stated, "Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she 'A.I.'d' it, and showed a massive 'crowd' of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST!"
The Harris campaign swiftly refuted the claim, asserting that the image depicts a genuine crowd of 15,000 supporters.
CNBC has independently verified the authenticity of the photograph through Getty Images licensing.
The accusation is part of a series of attacks Trump has launched against Harris in recent days. He also accused the Vice President of plagiarizing his proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, a promise Harris made during a Las Vegas rally. Trump had introduced a similar idea at his own event in the city in June.
These exchanges occur against the backdrop of a highly contested presidential race, with both campaigns vying for advantage in key swing states. The Harris campaign used the opportunity to contrast their candidate's active schedule with Trump's recent absence from swing state campaigning, describing the former president's efforts as "low energy."
* Yeshiva World News contributed to this article.