Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Photos of former US president Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein and young girls on flights to Epstein’s private island.
Fact
Photos found to be AI-generated.
Several social media users are circulating purported images of former US president Donald Trump with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claiming that Trump had taken several flights to “Epstein’s island” in the past.
The archived versions of the tweets are here and here.
What Are The Epstein Documents?
A new trove of unsealed documents was reportedly released on January 4, 2024, from a lawsuit tied to disgraced financier and alleged sex trafficker Epstein, who was linked to celebrities, politicians, and billionaires. He died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The court documents revealed dozens of people with a wide variety of connections to Epstein, which also include accusers of Epstein, staff members and business associates, many of whom gave depositions about Epstein, who over many years allegedly exploited underage girls for sex at his homes in Manhattan; Palm Beach, Florida; and his private island near St. Thomas. Former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are mentioned in the documents, but they are not accused of any wrongdoing.
Fact Check
Image 1
Newshecker noticed several irregularities associated with AI-generated images such as Jeffrey Epstein seeming to have no legs, along with multiple hands around him and a floating head behind, raising doubts on whether it was digitally created. We ran a reverse image search, which did not lead us to any credible source for the photo, nor has it appeared in any media reports.
We then ran the image past Hive Moderator, an AI-generated content detection tool, which stated that there is only a 2.9% chance of it not being AI generated. A similar tool, Is it AI?, stated that the image is highly likely to be AI-generated. We also found a report by fact-checking outlet Snopes, dated July 14, 2023, confirming the image to be fake.
Images 2 and 3
Newschecker ran a reverse image search of the photos purporting to show Trump with young girls on a private flight, which led us to this tweet by BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh, stating that both the images are AI-generated and fake. We also came across this report by Lead Stories dated May 9, 2023,stating that both the photos were AI-generated.
We ran the photos past Hive Moderator, which stated that image 3 was 99.9% likely to be AI-generated, while image 2 was 41.8% unlikely to be AI-generated. We ran image 2 past Is it AI?, which said the photo was highly likely to be AI-generated
Image 4
Newschecker ran the image past Hive Moderator, which stated the photo was 99.7% likely to be AI-generated. We also came across this report, confirming that the photo was generated using AI.
The viral photos emerge amid the increasing media scrutiny of the relationship between Trump and Epstein and what the unsealed documents would reveal about the former US president. There have been real photos and videos of the two together, featured in multiple media reports (here and here), taken between the 1990s and early 2000s, before a reported fallout.
Also Read: Old Video From Turkey Hospital Falsely Linked To Japan Earthquake
Conclusion
AI-generated photos of former US president Donald Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein and with young girls on a private jet go viral.
Result: Altered Media
Sources
Hive Moderator image detection tool
Is It AI? detector tool
Snopes report, July 14, 2023
Lead Stories report, May 9, 2023
Tweet, Shayan Sardarizadeh, January 5, 2024
Verify report, January 4, 2024
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
