Republican PAC Drops AI-Generated Ad Showing Fake Images of Candidate With Trump

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A pro-GOP political action committee has dropped an AI-generated ad showing fake images of congressional candidate Catalina Lauf (R) giving thumbs up alongside President Donald Trump.

Lauf is a former Trump official who served as an advisor to the U.S. Commerce Department in 2018. She’s running along with nine other Republicans to succeed Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in Florida’s 19th congressional district. Donalds’ term ends Jan. 3, 2027.

Journalist Jacob Rubashkin posted the ad to X, writing, “The Rand Paul-affiliated Protect Freedom PAC is airing what looks like an entirely AI-generated ad backing Republican Catalina Lauf in the FL-19 GOP primary. Includes fake images of her on stage with Trump and with a Secret Service detail. Disclaimer at the end.”

The disclaimer reads, “Created in whole or in part with the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).”

Axios reporter Marc Caputo called the ad “wild.”

Semafor’s David Weigel wrote, “Amazing stuff here. Also says Trump ‘appointed her to lead in his administration,’ which is a little bit of resume inflation.”

Illinois Statehouse reporter Ben Szalinski provided some interesting background, writing, “Former Illinois Republican congressional candidate trying her hand at winning in Florida. Catalina Lauf, who is from McHenry County, featured in an AI ad in a race that includes former IL State Sen. Jim Oberweis.”

Lauf appears to also have used AI to create her headshot that appeared in local Florida publications, like The New Press and Naples Daily News.

New polling showed Lauf running neck-and-neck with businessman Jim Schwartzel in the Republican primary set to take place Aug. 18.

Florida Politics reported, “Victory Insights, a Southwest Florida-based firm, finds both Schwartzel, Sun Broadcasting President, and Lauf, a former Commerce Department adviser, boasting 19% support of likely Republican Primary voters. Boiled down to the decimal point, Schwartzel holds a 19.1% to 18.9% lead on Lauf. The only other candidate cracking double digits in the poll is former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis, the choice of almost 12% of respondents.”

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