Image shows a photo of former President Donald Trump wading through floodwater after Hurricane Helene.
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Trump surveyed Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia, but not from deep floodwaters; this image is fake
Former President Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, on Sept. 30, to see how Hurricane Helene had damaged the area.
But an image circulating online that purportedly shows him wading through floodwaters past his knees isn’t authentic.
Posts sharing it were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
(Screengrab from Threads)
Trump’s Georgia trip was widely covered in the media but we found no news reports to corroborate the scene pictured here, much less any other photos or video capturing the moment.
In the image, Trump appears to be walking through sloshing water and wearing jeans, a royal blue shirt and life vest. Photos and video of Trump in Valdosta published by news outlets including The Associated Press, Getty Images, The Guardian, The New York Times, Fox News, ABC News, CNBC and NBC News show him wearing a navy blue suit, red tie, and a red Make America Great Again hat.
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Trump’s campaign posted footage of him speaking from Valdosta in the same outfit.
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It’s unbelievable that the image in these social media posts would be the only such picture to exist considering that Trump’s presidential campaign draws persistent media attention.
But a little scrutiny goes a long way: Trump’s right hand appears malformed in the floodwater picture, a clue that artificial intelligence is responsible for the image.
This image was fabricated. We rate claims it was authentic False.
Our Sources
Threads post, Sept. 30, 2024
Facebook post, Sept. 30, 2024
Fox News, Trump sends love to Hurricane Helene victims in Valdosta, Georgia, Sept. 30, 2024
The Associated Press, Trump visits hurricane damaged area in Georgia, Sept. 30, 2024
ABC News, Trump, in Georgia, attacks Biden and Harris on Helene response, Biden says he's 'lying,’ Sept. 30, 2024
The Guardian, Trump visits hurricane-ravaged Georgia and makes false claims about Biden, Oct. 1, 2024
PolitiFact, No, this isn’t an AI-generated photo of Trump raising his fist after assassination attempt, Aug. 30, 2024
The New York Times, Trump, No Stranger to Playing Storm Politics, Visits a Battered Georgia, Sept. 30, 2024
CNBC, Hurricane Helene: Trump speaks in Georgia, bashes Harris for not traveling there, Sept. 30, 2024
NBC News, Election 2024: Trump surveys Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia; Harris gets FEMA briefing, Sept. 30, 2024
Truth Social post, Sept. 30, 2024
Getty Images pictures, Sept. 30, 2024
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More by Ciara O'Rourke
Trump surveyed Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia, but not from deep floodwaters; this image is fake
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