Amid the latest news of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest, former President Donald Trump reposted a doctored image falsely displaying Vice President Kamala Harris with Combs with textual content questioning if she was concerned in his alleged “freak offs.”
The picture, which Trump reposted to his Truth Social profile, is an edited model of a 2001 photo of Harris with former speak present host Montel Williams, whom she briefly dated, and his daughter Ashley. The edit changed Montel Williams’ face with a photo of Combs.
This just isn't the primary time the Republican presidential nominee has posted a fake picture in an effort to bolster his marketing campaign. Trump has posted a number of AI-generated pictures, together with some falsely depicting Taylor Swift and her followers endorsing him, and one of Harris speaking to a crowd of communists in Chicago in the course of the Democratic National Convention.
The Harris marketing campaign declined to remark. The Trump marketing campaign didn't instantly reply to a request for remark.
Combs was arrested on Monday. He was indicted on prices of intercourse trafficking, racketeering and transportation to have interaction in prostitution. The indictment got here after months of lawsuits filed in opposition to the rap music mogul. Cassie, a singer and Combs’ former girlfriend, sued Combs in November 2023, alleging bodily abuse and rape. Combs denied Cassie’s claims and the 2 reached a settlement shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
The indictment detailed “freak offs,” which prosecutors stated had been hours-long and days-long intercourse acts by which Combs allegedly pressured victims to carry out. Prosecutors alleged that some of these acts concerned business intercourse staff and the use of narcotics to maintain victims “obedient and compliant.”
Both candidates have beforehand publicly interacted with Combs. In a 2020 X post, Harris praised Combs for a city corridor he led on the coronavirus pandemic’s affect on Black communities.
Old pictures of Trump with Combs have received over 1 million views on X. Jimmy Kimmel additionally introduced consideration to Trump’s earlier feedback describing Combs on his speak present. Kimmel aired a clip of Trump calling Combs a “good friend of mine, he’s a good guy” in a 2012 episode of “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Others have used false media to undermine the Harris-Walz marketing campaign. Microsoft recognized at the least three Russian disinformation actors which have focused the marketing campaign utilizing fake movies. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who endorsed Trump in July, shared a fake Harris advert that makes use of a manipulated model of the vp’s voice.
Alexandra Marquez and Jake Traylor contributed.
