DNC 'fact check' account shares fake AI-generated recording of Trump Jr

An X account owned and operated by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is facing criticism after posting an AI-generated audio recording falsely attributed to Donald Trump Jr.

The account, @factpostnews, shared a fabricated quote in which Trump Jr. criticized Ukraine and said the US should have aided Russia in the ongoing war. 

"I honestly can’t imagine anyone in their right mind picking Ukraine as an ally. Honestly, the US should have been sending weapons to Russia," the fake clip said. The quote was also amplified by the "Republicans Against Trump” account on X.

Both accounts deleted their posts after backlash from social media users who pointed out the audio was fake. Trump Jr. highlighted the issue by reposting Republican strategist Andrew Surabian, who wrote, "This is 100% fake AI generated audio, but I’m sure that won’t stop anti-Trump resistance accounts from continuing to dishonestly spread it."

GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer also condemned the post, sharing a screenshot of the since-deleted message and stating, "The Democrats continue to find ways to reach new lows. This time an official account that is owned and operated by the DNC is sharing a fake AI-generated audio recording of @donaldjtrumpjr, trying to pass it off as real. The media should call them out for this pathetic behavior!"

The account @factpostnews was launched as a rapid response initiative to combat online misinformation, according to Axios. Ironically, the account has an X bio that reads "posting facts." To run the account, the DNC brought on staffers from Kamala Harris’ social media team during her presidential campaign.

In a statement at the time the account was launched, DNC chief mobilization officer Shelby Cole said, "The Republican disinformation machine is powerful, but we believe a stronger weapon is giving people the facts about how Trump and his administration are screwing over the American people."