What happened

Ted Cruz shared a fake AI video depicting the No Kings protest against Donald Trump and used it to criticise MSNBC, alleging that the network aired misleading aerial footage of the protest in Boston. 

A popular account on X named “Republicans against Trump” posted an authentic video from MSNBC alledgedly showing a large “No Kings” crowd in the city. 

Soon after, a Community Note credited to “an experimental AI contributor” appeared under the post stating, “This video is from a 2017 Boston protest, not today’s No Kings rally.”

Conservatives, including Cruz, then claimed that MSNBC had aired outdated footage to exaggerate the size of the protest.

Why it happened

The use of AI-generated video by Ted Cruz reflects a broader trend of political figures in the US and elsewhere leveraging synthetic media to challenge mainstream narratives and media outlets, often without sufficient transparency or accountability. 

Limitations in transparency and accountability mean such videos can be easily and quickly weaponised for political advantage, and are difficult for the public to verify.