Rep. Riley Moore Shares Deepfake Video of Gov. Tim Walz
Recently, Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) shared a deepfake video on social media that falsely depicted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) dancing off a mall escalator. The video showed Walz wearing a T-shirt with a controversial message while dancing to a popular song.
Moore’s post quickly received a community note clarifying that the video was fake. The individual who originally shared the video online admitted to swapping faces in the video.
While it’s unclear whether Moore was aware of the video’s authenticity when he shared it, some speculate that it may have been intended as a form of commentary on Walz’s political views and criticisms of the current administration.
Despite the backlash and mockery from social media users, Moore has not responded to the criticism. This incident has reignited discussions about the dangers of AI-generated content and the importance of verifying information before sharing it online.
Dave Weigel from Semafor humorously remarked on Twitter, “‘Days since a congressman fell for an AI video’ sign set back to zero,” highlighting the need for caution when consuming and sharing digital media.