Fake Trump photos coming from all sides

With the presidential election looming, the candidates are an easy target for fake photos, created using artificial intelligence, or AI, and posted on social media.

One image shows former President Donald Trump surrounded by a group of Black people, who, along with Trump, are all smiling.

But this photo, which was not issued by Trump’s campaign, is fake, according to The Associated Press. Odd lighting and “too-perfect details” are an indication the image was created using AI.

“If you see a photo of Trump with Black folks and you don’t see it posted on an official campaign or surrogate page, it didn’t happen,” Black Conservative Federation president Diante Johnson told the AP.

A different photo of Trump, recently posted on social media, shows him standing at a golf course, looking very old.

“Wow. Untouched. This is the MAGA cult’s Superman….,” reads a March 14 post on X that includes the photo.

But this image was retouched, according to Reuters. Wrinkles were added to make Trump appear older. The original photo was taken during an August 2023 LIV Golf competition at Trump National Golf Club, in New Jersey, by Getty Images photographer Mike Stobe.

In the untouched photo, Trump, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, has the wrinkles of a 77-year-old man. However, in the altered photo, the wrinkles appear deeper and more pronounced, his hair is whiter and the entire image is a little blurry.

National Guard call for solar eclipse is precautionary

A solar eclipse on April 8, with the path of totality running northeast through the U.S., including parts of southern Illinois, has some social media users predicting more than a natural occurrence.

“This eclipse is waaaay BIGGER than we thinking…,” read the caption on a Facebook reel.

“This is getting wild. The National Guard is going to be here now for the solar eclipse,” a narrator on the reel says, citing a newspaper story about a plan for guardsmen in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. The narrator claims officials are urging people to stock up on food, fill fuel tanks and prepare for cellphone difficulties because “communication facilities could be overloaded.”

Although a solar eclipse is a big event, there is nothing “waaaay bigger” planned, according to PolitiFact. With a surge of people expected for the eclipse, the McCurtain County emergency management team requested the help of the Oklahoma National Guard as a precautionary measure.

“It is not unusual for the 63rd CST to be a part of something like this,” Oklahoma National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. LeeAnn Tumblson told PolitiFact. “The CST often partners with other first responders to provide an additional level of protection for the public during large sporting, gaming and gathering events.”

Soldier not giving Nazi salute

A photo of a Ukrainian soldier is being misinterpreted online.

Roman Tsymbalyuk, who lost both his legs and his left arm in the Russia-Ukraine war, is the subject of the photo. He is shown wearing a military jacket and standing on his new prosthetic legs, with his right arm out in front of him. Social media users are claiming Tsymbalyuk is giving the Nazi salute.

But that’s wrong, according to The Associated Press. Tsymbalyuk was losing his balance and trying to steady himself. He posted the photo on social media before realizing it could be interpreted as Nazi support. He then took it down.

The photo was part of a publicity shoot for the Protez Foundation, a group that provided prostheses to Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in the war. Tsymbalyuk sent a video to the AP explaining how he was just trying to avoid falling down during the shoot. He also said he does not support fascism.

Photographer Lesia Borodina, who took the picture, told the AP there was “no subtext” to the photo.

“Roman was positioned and left alone, but he started losing balance, and to stay on his feet, he began to sway,” she said. “Since he only has his right hand, he used it to balance and prevent falling. He managed to stay on his feet (prosthetics) by stretching his arm sideways, and at that moment, I took the photo. Roman always tries to keep a smile, so the photo is positive here too.”

Clinton video doesn’t exist

A strange social media post includes a strange claim about the Clintons.

“BOMBSHELL: Mel Gibson just released a VIDEO of Bill and Hillary Clinton engaging in C@NNIBALISM with the Haitian C@nnibal Gang Leader named ‘Barbecue!’” reads a March 16 post on X that includes a photomontage of pictures featuring Gibson, Bill Clinton, a trolley and a man holding a rifle.

But there is no truth to any of this, according to PolitiFact. Gibson’s publicist told PolitiFact there is no such video. A link with the post takes users to an article on a website known for sharing conspiracy theories. That link doesn’t include a video.

In the photomontage, the man holding a rifle is the leader of Haiti’s G9 Family and Allies gang Jimmy Chérizier, also known as Barbecue. Some social media users have suggested he got that nickname as a reference to cannibalism. But in 2019, Chérizier told The Associated Press he got his nickname because his mother sold fried chicken as a street vendor when he was growing up.

• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.