Politics
Michelle Obama tells DNC her parents were 'suspicious' of the wealthy despite own $70M net worth, luxury homes
![Michelle Obama tells DNC her parents were 'suspicious' of the wealthy despite own M net worth, luxury homes Michelle Obama tells DNC her parents were 'suspicious' of the wealthy despite own M net worth, luxury homes](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-2166935750.jpg)
Michelle Obama said during her speech on the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Tuesday that her parents “were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed.”
But critics quickly pointed out how she conveniently omitted that the Obamas have an estimated net worth of $70 million, as well as luxury real estate holdings in Chicago, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.
The former first lady began her DNC speech by saying the last time she was in her hometown of Chicago was to memorialize her mother, the woman “who showed me the meaning of hard work and humility and decency” and “who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my own voice.”
“She and my father didn’t aspire to be wealthy. In fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed,” Michelle Obama said. “They understood that it wasn’t enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning. So my mother volunteered at the local school.”
Her mother “always looked out for the other kids on the block” and “was glad to do the thankless, unglamorous work that for generations has strengthened the fabric of this nation,” Michelle Obama continued. “The belief that if you do unto others, if you love thy neighbor. If you work and scrape and sacrifice, it will pay off. If not for you, then maybe for your children or your grandchildren.”
DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT ‘F— YOU’ AT CHICAGO POLICE, MORE THAN 70 ARRESTED ON 2ND NIGHT OF DNC
Former First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“You see, those values have been passed on through family farms and factory towns, through tree-lined streets and crowded tenements, through prayer groups and National Guard units and social studies classroom. Those were the values my mother poured into me until her very last breath,” she said. “Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values. Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.”
One X user, who goes by ProudArmyBrat, decried the perceived hypocrisy to her more than 463,600 followers.
“The Obama’s have a net worth of $70 million. They own 4 luxurious properties: – Washington DC home bought for $8.1M – Martha’s Vineyard home bought for $11.75M – Beachfront home in Hawaii bought for $8.7M – Chicago home bought for $1.65M,” she wrote. “Getting really tired of multi-millionaires preaching about the evils of money and greed.”
Trump War Room, the official account of former President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, also shared a clip of Michelle Obama’s speech.
“Michelle Obama says her parents ‘were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed.’ She has a net worth of $70 million and lives in a mansion in Martha’s Vineyard,” the account wrote to its 2 million followers.
Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume said “the speech of the night was Michelle Obama,” but also noted the disconnect from the former first lady’s message and her elite lifestyle.
![Obamas on DNC stage](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/GettyImages-2167675142.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Former President Barack Obama gestures to former first lady Michelle Obama as he arrives to speak on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
CRITICS CLAIM BIDEN REMAINS PRESIDENT ‘IN NAME ONLY’ DESPITE DNC VOW TO FINISH NEXT 5 MONTHS OF TERM STRONG
“She is an extraordinarily impressive woman, former first lady of the United States. You can see why members of the Democratic Party always kind of hoped that maybe she’d step in and run for president,” he said. “It does however, I have to say this, get a little rich when she starts talking about hope.”
“Remember she famously said when her husband was on the cusp of winning his party’s nomination it was the first time in her life that she had felt hope because of what he brought and what he was bringing,” Hume said. “Here she is tonight saying it again. I can’t imagine why somebody who’s had the life she had, a product of Princeton and Harvard Law School, an elite law firm, the first lady of the United States, with a magnificent house on Martha’s Vineyard worth about $12 million and another one going up in Hawaii, why it is that she’s so hopeless all the time and has to have her hope revived by the goings-on in the Democratic Party.”
MIchelle Obama declared in her speech Tuesday: “America, hope is making a comeback.”
![Obamas embrace on DNC stage](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/GettyImages-2167672415.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Former President Barack Obama greets former first lady Michelle Obama as he arrives to speak on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
She then tore into Trump, a sharp shift from the 2016 convention speech in which she told her party, “When they go low, we go high.”
“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,” Michelle Obama said of Trump.
She was followed by her husband, Barack Obama, the first Black president in U.S. history. He insisted the nation is ready to elect Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage and would be the nation’s first female president. He also called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”
“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Politics
Six Questions We Asked 65 Democratic Convention Attendees
![Six Questions We Asked 65 Democratic Convention Attendees Six Questions We Asked 65 Democratic Convention Attendees](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/08/21/upshot/21dnc-static-promo/21dnc-static-promo-facebookJumbo.jpg)
With the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, we spoke with 65 party members, leaders and legislators, all attending the convention as delegates or alternates, to gauge their enthusiasm and opinions going into the election.
We talked to them about their views on Kamala Harris, the issues that drive them, what they’ve seen change, formative political moments, their favorite Democrats and who they think represents the future of the party.
Here’s how 65 Republicans answered the same questions.
1/6
How would you describe your feelings or level of enthusiasm about Kamala Harris as the nominee?
Nearly all the delegates surveyed — from self-described moderates to progressives — were very enthusiastic about Ms. Harris’s nomination. Many said that they felt she was the right candidate for the moment and that they had seen a spike in engagement within their local parties, especially among young people.
“I am so excited, I am tired now from my excitement.”
Pat Spearman, “I’m not trying to be corny or anything here. She just seems to be the person for the moment that we need when it comes to so many issues facing American families today.” Tim Drea, “Our country doesn’t have the best reputation for elevating women and elevating minorities. So I was a little scared. But then the young people in my life started texting me — my kids, my nieces and my cousins.”
Crystal LaGrone,
69, Nevada
state legislator and minister
66, Illinois
president of the Illinois A.F.L.-C.I.O.
51, Oklahoma
I.T. professional
Sam Skardon, the chair of his county party in Charleston, S.C., recalled the early hours of Ms. Harris’s candidacy: “We took a vote in that first meeting, that night that the president withdrew, on whether to endorse Vice President Harris as a delegation. I believe the vote was 58 to 4,” he said. “It’s a testament to her and her strength and her leadership that she consolidated the party so quickly.”
Many delegates said they were inspired by the potential of electing a Black and Asian American woman and talked about what that representation meant for them and their communities.
![Kavya Nair](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Kavya.png)
“I never thought the president would have an Indian name. It’s so special.”
Kavya Nair,
19, Minnesota
student
![Shawnté Rothschild](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/shawnte.png)
“All of the people that look like me making a difference, it makes me want to work harder. It makes me realize that hey, the American dream does include me.”
Shawnté Rothschild,
46, Arizona
pharmaceutical manager
Just a handful of delegates surveyed provided caveats to their excitement, saying that they needed to see Ms. Harris take a stronger position on ending the war in Gaza.
In addition to thousands of protesters outside the convention, a small number of convention delegates plan to remain “uncommitted” — representing Democratic primary voters who cast uncommitted ballots to protest President Biden’s Israel policy.
“I do not want another Trump presidency, another disastrous Trump presidency. None of us who are uncommitted want that. But we need to see more from Harris.”
Inga Gibson, “In order for me to be enthusiastic about her candidacy, I need to hear from her that she will both support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo.”
June Rose,
52, Hawaii
policy consultant
29, Rhode Island
chief of staff for city council
Delegates were chosen before President Biden stepped down from the race and endorsed Vice President Harris. Many praised Mr. Biden’s legislative accomplishments and his sacrifice in stepping down.
“History is littered with examples of powerful men clinging to power even when they know they are going to lose,” said Taylor Sappington, a 32-year-old delegate from Ohio. He added that Mr. Biden’s actions felt liberating in a “pessimistic, hate-filled era of politics.”
2/6
Is there a particular issue that drives you toward or excites you about the Democratic Party right now?
Forty percent of respondents, across ages and genders, said that reproductive rights was a motivating issue for them. They expressed fear and disbelief over the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and described how the ruling had affected them personally.
“My grandchildren, granddaughters, will not have the same rights as I had growing up, so that’s my biggest concern right now.” Lenora Sorola-Pohlman, “I told my husband, this is the hill I choose to die on. This is worth fighting for.”
Karmyn Seaberg,
69, Texas
business owner
66, Texas
retired registered nurse
In 2019, Robert Kahne and his wife made the decision to terminate her pregnancy after discovering at 20 weeks that their fetus had a fatal anomaly. “It was really a devastating moment,” said Mr. Kahne, who is attending the convention as a delegate for Kentucky. “I think about it almost every day.”
Since then, a near-total abortion ban has taken effect in Mr. Kahne’s state: “This issue isn’t an abstract thing to us. This is a real thing to us that we needed, and it’s no longer a right that families who need it have.”
![Kylie Oversen](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Kylie.png)
“It is not very pro-life to be anti-I.V.F., and anti-paid leave, and anti-child care and public education, and all these things that the Republican Party stands for right now.”
Kylie Oversen,
35, North Dakota
attorney
![Katie Stuart](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Katie-Stuart.png)
“I am really proud to be in Illinois, where I have been able to vote on pretty landmark legislation protecting reproductive freedoms. But it’s scary to think that they could be attacked on a national level.”
Katie Stuart,
53, Illinois
state legislator
More than a quarter said they were worried about maintaining democracy and basic freedoms. Some said they were concerned about Project 2025, a set of conservative policy options that Mr. Trump has distanced himself from but that align with many of his priorities.
![Salauddin Choudhury](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Sal-C.png)
“I am from a background where democracy changed every few years and became a dictatorship, so we constantly have to fight. I value democracy more than anything else.”
Salauddin Choudhury,
54, Arizona
tech worker
![Daniel Henry](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Daniel-Henry.png)
“In Florida and North Florida, we feel like we’ve almost been the guinea pigs of Project 2025 in the way that Governor DeSantis has governed the state.”
Daniel Henry,
32, Florida
procurement professional
![Nathan Soltz](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Nathan-S.png)
“The foundations and institutions and the rule of law that make our country what it is are under serious threat if Donald Trump gets elected.”
Nathan Soltz,
27, Oregon
chief of staff for state senator
A handful mentioned the economy. In a speech last week, Ms. Harris presented a series of economic proposals, including expanding a tax credit for parents, banning price gouging at grocery stores, spurring more affordable housing and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
“Even though I believe we have a strong economy, sadly it’s been dominated by a select few.”
Simón Carlo, “Something that makes me most hopeful is the conversation around helping people get ahead, both in lowering price gouging and advocating for working people.” Izzy Dobbel, “Affordable housing. There’s a lot of people in my generation that can’t afford a home, even here in the Midwest.”
Ryan Granger,
36, Puerto Rico
attorney and accountant
26, Illinois
political director at the Chicago Federation of Labor
36, Missouri
regulatory analyst
Many respondents offered more than one issue. Education, climate change, gun control, health care and the rights of immigrants and other groups were cited several times.
“I was the mayor of Parkland before becoming a state representative, so gun violence prevention is incredibly important to me.” Christine Hunschofsky, “Public education for me, personally, is an issue that is just so important. I come from a small-town, working-class environment, and I had the world open up.”
Mike Woods, “My grandfather was a nationalist who fought against communism, and my grandmother had to flee. That’s why I’m in this country. For people that stir up this rhetoric about criminals coming into this country, they don’t know anything about what they’re talking about.”
Howard Chou,
54, Florida
state legislator
70, Oklahoma
retired college professor
49, Colorado
political consultant and strategist
A handful of delegates mentioned the war in Gaza, with some emphasizing the plight of the Palestinian people and others calling for continued U.S. support for Israel in its fight against Hamas.
3/6
Is there something you’ve seen change in the party?
Some respondents focused on the most immediate change — Ms. Harris’s replacement of Mr. Biden at the top of the ticket.
“There’s that famous quote, ‘If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.’ I think the last month or so has been a great time.”
Alex Bores, “A lot of us got very depressed for several years. When Kamala and Tim Walz stepped in, the excitement just came back.”
Kathy Jensen,
33, New York
state legislator
71, Nebraska
retired teacher
The most common response was that the party has grown more diverse, particularly in positions of leadership. Several reflected on how the party has changed when it comes to L.G.B.T.Q. rights and inclusion, and with promoting younger members.
“I can see a shift in the gay rights movement. Even in 2012, when Obama came out supporting L.G.B.T.Q., it took him a long time to come out with that support.”
Tan Pham, “When you have folks like Maxwell Frost and AOC, and you have Nancy Pelosi giving the reins over to minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, that all kind of signals to folks that there is a pathway for young people.”
Raumesh Akbari, On Kamala Harris: “If you go back to a Democratic convention 20 years ago, you don’t see any of the people in leadership roles like her or like myself.”
Neil Makhija, “I feel like with our vice president being our nominee, it opens up the party to more diversity. I still feel like there are a lot of gatekeepers.” Angela Romero,
39, Massachusetts
marketing director
40, Tennessee
state legislator and lawyer
37, Pennsylvania
county commissioner
50, Utah
state legislator, community program manager
Some noted a shift toward progressivism, or a return to more populist roots. Others described their experiences as Democrats in Republican-leaning states, pointing to leaders like Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky as models for the party’s future.
“At least here in Minnesota, I think that people are really waking up to the possibility of really strong and smart progressive policies.”
Quentin Wathum-Ocama, “In the past we’ve not done great by our Democrats that live in the red states, but I think maybe we’re turning a corner and seeing the value of propping them up.” Crystal LaGrone, “There has been a recent change in the party to return to our roots, and to bring back the Democrats that we may have lost over the years when they felt that the Democratic Party left them.”
Michael J. Zagrobelny,
33, Minnesota
kindergarten teacher, president of Young Democrats of America
51, Oklahoma
I.T. professional
55, New York
labor relations specialist
4/6
Has there been a particularly meaningful or formative political moment in your life?
Nearly a quarter of respondents cited the 2008 election of Barack Obama. (Mr. Obama was the first Democratic president many of those surveyed had been able to vote for.)
![Kevin Ford Jr.](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Kevin-ford.png)
“That was key to me. Just seeing somebody who looked like me be successful in an arena where Black folks haven’t truly been successful, especially on the national stage.”
Kevin Ford Jr.,
34, Maryland
real estate and cannabis entrepreneur
![Daniel Mulieri](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Daniel-Mulieri.png)
“It was seeing then-senator Obama give a speech. I can tell you it was just like, I can assume, seeing John F. Kennedy back in the day.”
Daniel Mulieri,
35, Florida
legislative director
![Marlon Kimpson](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Marlon2.png)
“It brought so many new people into the party, and the excitement, hope and optimism. And by the way, that’s what I’m seeing now.”
Marlon Kimpson,
55, South Carolina
lawyer, Biden trade committee appointee
Some described other meaningful campaigns and movements.
“My dad said: ‘You’re little. Make your way to the front. Go squirm your way to the front so you can see Jimmy Carter up close.’”
Sophia Rodriguez, “I took a leave of absence my freshman year to work on Ted Kennedy’s campaign. I guess that would be where the bug started.” William Eddy, “It was very telling the kind of responses that Donald Trump received and what he invoked as a candidate. Prior to that I was actually very much a moderate Republican.”
Aaron Sims, “After Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed, and Roe v. Wade was overturned, and Louisiana enacted a strict abortion ban, I ran for office. I was seven months pregnant and filmed my pregnancy and birth in my campaign ad.”
Katie Darling,
57, Ohio
educator
Massachusetts
executive director of a trade association
32, Nevada
accountant
38, Louisiana
director of partnerships
The rest cited personal moments or national or world events that helped shape their political views.
“The 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. October 11.”
Glenn D. Magpantay, “What really got me to be actively involved was when George W. Bush was lying to America and the world about weapons of mass destruction.”
Kristan Peters-Hamlin, “When Joe Biden went on ‘Meet the Press’ and was one of the first really prominent national figures to endorse same-sex marriage.”
Jeremy Moss, “I got involved in political campaigns in 1972, and it was really an outgrowth of opposition to the war in Vietnam.”
Jeffrey Dinowitz, “One of my sisters and I were among the first people to go to an integrated school in Alabama — Holtville High School. They did not want us there.” Pat Spearman,
55, New York
attorney, commissioner to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Rhode Island
writer and lawyer
38, Michigan
state legislator
69, New York
state legislator
69, Nevada
state legislator and minister
5/6
Which Democratic figure do you consider your favorite, or think aligns most closely with your positions?
Barack Obama was the most common favorite, mentioned by one-third of the delegates surveyed.
“The way he was able to inspire hope, to bring people together when so many in society were fighting to push people apart is something I deeply admire.”
Alex Bores, “My uncle passed away in 2008, but he was actually able to vote absentee from his hospital bed for President Obama. He passed away literally about a week or so after the election was called, so he died knowing that first African American president had been elected.”
Kyler Gilkey,
33, New York
state legislator
24, Tennessee
government employee
Several Democrats were mentioned by at least three people:
On Hillary Clinton: “Doggone it, that was so sad. We came so close to getting her elected president, and it didn’t happen. It was a real devastating feeling to me.”
Kathy Jensen, “I met Joe Biden on a train 15, 20 years ago, and he bought me a cup of coffee. And the first time you meet Joe Biden, you love Joe Biden.”
Lou Grossman, “I love Kamala Harris. I love the fact that she can be positive while remaining tough. It’s not a bad thing for a woman to be assertive and strong.”
Gini Ballou, “Politicians of all parties propose solutions as if we were dealing with smaller problems, and I think AOC and Bernie Sanders meet the moment.” June Rose,
71, Nebraska
retired teacher
73, Florida
public relations counselor
64, Idaho
sales manager
29, Rhode Island
chief of staff for city council
The respondents named 53 favorite Democrats in all.
On former Representative Shirley Chisholm: “After watching the Netflix movie, I admire her even more than I did before.”
Mark Kelly Tyler, “I very much liked George McGovern when he ran his what turned out to be ill-fated campaign. Though two years later when Nixon was being impeached, you couldn’t find anyone who voted for Nixon.” John W. Hedrick, On Ann Richards, former governor of Texas: “She was brave and bold and charismatic and stood up for her values at a time when many women didn’t hold positions of power at all.”
Rayellen Smith,
58, Pennsylvania
senior pastor
69, Florida
retired attorney
68, New Mexico
retired C.P.A.
6/6
Aside from Kamala Harris, which Democratic figure do you think represents the future of the party?
Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, was the most popular answer.
![Andy Josephson](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Andy-Josephson.png)
“If somebody said, ‘Andy, you now have to be in a debate against Pete Buttigieg,’ I’d say: ‘I decline. I‘m not doing it. I’m not going to do that. Why would I do that?’”
Andy Josephson,
60, Alaska
state legislator
![Crystal LaGrone](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Crystal.png)
“Has a way of sort of breaking through the noise, giving information, but at the same time, not relinquishing any power when he speaks.”
Crystal LaGrone,
51, Oklahoma
I.T. professional
Other common choices were several Democratic governors, including Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Tim Walz of Minnesota (a handful of these interviews took place before he was announced as Ms. Harris’s running mate); Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania; Wes Moore of Maryland; and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
![Adam Goldwyn](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Adam-G.png)
“Gretchen Whitmer is sort of pushing back and saying: Actually government can do good things.”
Adam Goldwyn,
43, North Dakota
professor
![Alan Cai](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Alan-Cai.png)
On Tim Walz: “He served in the army. He comes from a working-class background. He was a teacher. I think the future of our party are ordinary people.”
Alan Cai,
18, Massachusetts
student
![Michele L. Kidd](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Michele-Kidd.png)
“Josh Shapiro has an amazing way of bringing people together across parties. The way that he responded to the assassination attempt of former president Trump was absolutely spot on.”
Michele L. Kidd,
46, New Jersey
political consultant
![Landiran Kern Jr.](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Landiran.png)
On Wes Moore: “He ran away a bunch of times and got in a lot of trouble, but eventually he dialed down. He started focusing on academics, he attended Oxford, and he attended Johns Hopkins University, and now he’s the sitting governor of Maryland.”
Landiran Kern Jr.,
18, Wisconsin
student
![Robert Kahne](https://static01.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2024-08-09-dnc-delegate-survey/_big_assets/final/Robert-k.png)
“Andy Beshear is able to be progressive on every issue without alienating anybody. He shows this leadership that isn’t really ideological.”
Robert Kahne,
38, Kentucky
data scientist
Several Democratic members of the House were also mentioned.
“I love the boldness of Jasmine Crockett. I want to see us be willing to stand up and say, ‘No, you can’t treat us like that.’”
Gini Ballou, On Representative Ro Khanna of California: “I think he presents a very thoughtful vision on progressive values and policies that also makes sense to everyone, whether you work in Silicon Valley or on Main Street.”
Sungkwan Jang, On Representative Jennifer McClellan of Virginia: “She is a very quiet but powerful leader, and I would keep my eye on her.”
Pat Spearman,
64, Idaho
sales manager
34, New Jersey
consultant
69, Nevada
state legislator and minister
Overall, participants named 44 Democrats they thought represented the party’s future.
Politics
Trump posted a fake Taylor Swift image. AI and deepfakes are only going to get worse this election cycle
The patriotic image shows megastar Taylor Swift dressed up like Uncle Sam, falsely suggesting she endorses Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“Taylor Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump,” the image, which appears to be generated by artificial intelligence, says.
Over the weekend, Trump amplified the lie when he shared the image along with others depicting support from Swift fans to his 7.6 million followers on his social network Truth Social.
Deception has long played a part in politics, but the rise of artificial intelligence tools that allow people to rapidly generate fake images or videos by typing out a phrase adds another complex layer to a familiar problem on social media. Known as deepfakes, these digitally-altered images and videos can make it appear someone is saying or doing something they aren’t.
As the race between Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris intensifies, disinformation experts are sounding the alarm about generative AI’s risks.
“I’m worried as we move closer to the election, this is going to explode,” said Emilio Ferrara, a computer science professor at USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “It’s going to get much worse than it is now.”
Platforms such as Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, have rules against manipulated images, audio and videos, but they’ve struggled to enforce these policies as AI-generated content floods the internet. Faced with accusations they’re censoring political speech, they’ve focused more on labeling content and fact checking, rather than pulling posts down. And there are exceptions to the rules, such as satire, that allow people to create and share fake images online.
“We have all the problems of the past, all the myths and disagreements and general stupidity, that we’ve been dealing with for 10 years,” said Hany Farid, a UC Berkeley professor who focuses on misinformation and digital forensics. “Now we have it being supercharged with generative AI and we are really, really partisan.”
Amid the surging interest in OpenAI, the maker of popular generative AI tool ChatGPT, tech companies are encouraging people to use new AI tools that can generate text, images and videos.
Farid, who analyzed the Swift images that Trump shared, said they appear to be a mix of both real and fake images, a “devious” way to push out misleading content.
People share fake images for various reasons. They might be doing it to just go viral on social media or troll others. Visual imagery is a powerful part of propaganda, warping people’s views on politics including about the legitimacy of the 2024 presidential election, he said.
On X, images that appear to be AI-generated depict Swift hugging Trump, holding his hand or singing a duet as the Republican strums a guitar. Social media users have also used other methods to falsely claim Swift endorsed Trump.
X labeled one video that falsely claimed Swift endorsed Trump as “manipulated media.” The video, posted in February, uses footage of Swift at the 2024 Grammys and makes it appear as if she’s holding a sign that says, “Trump Won. Democrats Cheated!”
Political campaigns have been bracing for AI’s impact on the election.
Vice President Harris’ campaign has an interdepartmental team “to prepare for the potential effects of AI this election, including the threat of malicious deepfakes,” said spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg in a statement. The campaign only authorizes the use of AI for “productivity tools” such as data analysis, she added.
Trump’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Part of the challenge in curbing fake or manipulated video is that the federal law that guides social media operations doesn’t specifically address deepfakes. The Communications Decency Act of 1996 does not hold social media companies liable for hosting content, as long as they do not aid or control those who posted it.
But over the years, tech companies have come under fire for what’s appeared on their platforms and many social media companies have established content moderation guidelines to address this such as prohibiting hate speech.
“It’s really walking this tightrope for social media companies and online operators,” said Joanna Rosen Forster, a partner at law firm Crowell & Moring.
Legislators are working to address this problem by proposing bills that would require social media companies to take down unauthorized deepfakes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said in July that he supports legislation that would make altering a person’s voice with the use of AI in a campaign ad illegal. The remarks were a response to a video billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X, shared that uses AI to clone Harris’ voice. Musk, who has endorsed Trump, later clarified that the video he shared was parody.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is one of the groups advocating for laws addressing deepfakes.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator, said social media companies are not doing enough to address the problem.
“Misinformation and outright lies spread by deepfakes can never really be rolled back,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “Especially with elections being decided in many cases by narrow margins and through complex, arcane systems like the electoral college, these deepfake-fueled lies can have devastating real world consequences.”
Crabtree-Ireland has experienced the problem firsthand. Last year, he was the subject of a deepfake video circulating on Instagram during a contract ratification campaign. The video, which showed false imagery of Crabtree-Ireland urging members to vote against a contract he negotiated, got tens of thousands of views. And while it had a caption that said “deepfake,” he received dozens of messages from union members asking him about it.
It took several days before Instagram took the deepfake video down, he said.
“It was, I felt, very abusive,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “They shouldn’t steal my voice and face to make a case that I don’t agree with.”
With a tight race between Harris and Trump, it’s not surprising both candidates are leaning on celebrities to appeal to voters. Harris’ campaign embraced pop star Charli XCX’s depiction of the candidate as “brat” and has used popular tunes such as Beyoncé’s “Freedom” and Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” to promote the Democratic Black and Asian American female presidential nominee. Musicians Kid Rock, Jason Aldean and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, have voiced their support for Trump, who was the target of an assassination attempt in July.
Swift, who has been the target of deepfakes before, hasn’t publicly endorsed a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, but she’s criticized Trump in the past. In the 2020 documentary “Miss Americana,” Swift says in a tearful conversation with her parents and team that she regrets not speaking out against Trump during the 2016 election and slams Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn, who was running for U.S. Senate at the time, as “‘Trump in a wig.”
Swift’s publicist, Tree Paine, did not respond to a request for comment.
AI-powered chatbots from platforms such as Meta, X and OpenAI make it easy for people to create fictitious images. While news outlets have found that X’s AI chatbot Grok can generate election fraud images, other chatbots are more restrictive.
Meta AI’s chatbot declined to create images of Swift endorsing Trump.
“I can’t generate images that could be used to spread misinformation or create the impression that a public figure has endorsed a particular political candidate,” Meta AI’s chatbot replied.
Meta and TikTok cited their efforts to label AI-generated content and partner with fact checkers. For example, TikTok said an AI-generated video falsely depicting a political endorsement of a public figure by an individual or group is not allowed. X didn’t respond to a request for comment.
When asked how Truth Social moderates AI-generated content, the platform’s parent company Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. accused journalists of “demanding more censorship.” Truth Social’s community guidelines has rules against posting fraud and spam but doesn’t spell out how it handles AI-generated content.
With social media platforms facing threats of regulation and lawsuits, some misinformation experts are skeptical that social networks want to properly moderate misleading content.
Social networks make most of their money from ads so keeping users on the platforms for a longer time is “good for business,” Farid said.
“What engages people is the absolute, most conspiratorial, hateful, salacious, angry content,” he said. “That’s who we are as human beings.”
It’s a harsh reality that even Swifties won’t be able to shake off.
Staff writer Mikael Wood contributed to this report.
Politics
Video: Barack Obama Calls for Unity in Soaring D.N.C. Speech
![Video: Barack Obama Calls for Unity in Soaring D.N.C. Speech Video: Barack Obama Calls for Unity in Soaring D.N.C. Speech](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/09/20/multimedia/20vid-dnc2-obama-unity-ltmp/20vid-dnc2-obama-unity-ltmp-facebookJumbo-v2.jpg?video-overlay)
new video loaded: Barack Obama Calls for Unity in Soaring D.N.C. Speech
transcript
transcript
Barack Obama Calls for Unity in Soaring D.N.C. Speech
Former President Barack Obama blamed politicians and social media algorithms for deepening social and political divisions among Americans.
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We live in a time of such confusion and rancor, with a culture that puts a premium on things that don’t last: money, fame, status, likes. We chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We build all manner of walls and fences around ourselves, and then we wonder why we feel so alone. We don’t trust each other as much because we don’t take the time to know each other. And in that space between us, politicians and algorithms teach us to caricature each other. Control each other and fear each other. But here’s the good news, Chicago. All across America, in big cities and small towns away from all the noise, the ties that bind us together are still there. We still coach Little League and look out for our elderly neighbors. We still feed the hungry in churches and mosques and synagogues and temples. We share the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold because — because the vast majority of us do not want to live in a country that’s bitter and divided. We want something better. We want to be better. And the joy, and the excitement that we’re seeing around this campaign tells us we’re not alone.
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