An image shared on Instagram purports to show 2024 presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump appearing to be apprehended by police.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. A content detection scan using the website “Hive Moderation” reveals the image is 99% likely to have been generated with artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, a media forensics and AI expert denied the image’s authenticity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Trump was found guilty on 34 charges related to his hush money payment case, according to The Associated Press. His sentencing is set for July 11, the outlet reported.
The Instagram image, which has garnered over 9,000 likes as of writing, purports to show Trump appearing to be apprehended by police. The post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, simply reads, “GUILTY.”
The claim is false, however. A content detection scan using the website “Hive Moderation” reveals the image is 99% likely to have been generated with AI. The results of the same scan indicate the image was most likely created using the AI program, Midjourney. A cursory glance at the image immediately draws its authenticity into question, as the officer standing to the left of Trump appears to have two badges on his uniform.
Screenshot captured via Hive Moderation
Likewise, the image has not been referenced in any recent credible news reports about the former Republican President. In fact, the opposite is true. PolitiFact also reported the image is AI-generated on May 31. Additionally, Trump has not publicly commented on the purported image via his website, TRUTH Social account, or his verified social media accounts. (RELATED: Did Joe Biden Authorize The FBI To Use ‘Deadly Force’ During The Mar-A-Lago Raid?)
Dr. Walter Scheirer, a media forensics and AI expert at the University of Notre Dame, denied the image’s authenticity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This image was likely generated by AI. It is poorly rendered, with one of the police officers appearing to wear two different badges on his uniform, which wouldn’t happen in any American police agency. The overall look of the image is cartoonish, and not photorealistic,” Scheirer said.