Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong faces backlash over AI-generated campaign video
Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong, a Republican seeking a full term on 3 November, posted then removed a campaign video showing AI-generated Black supporters. Democratic opponent Dexter McCoy condemned it, and Wong's campaign says a Democratic supporter made it.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong, a Republican seeking a full term in the 3 November election, is facing backlash over a campaign video featuring AI-generated Black people praising Wong for helping with work, food and bills. Raw StoryL “is facing backlash over a campaign video featuring AI-generated Black “supporters” praising him for help with work, groceries and light bills” Read at Raw Story ↗ NewsweekN “A Texas Republican county judge is facing backlash over an AI-generated campaign video depicting Black supporters endorsing him” Read at Newsweek ↗ Mixed · 2The video was posted on Facebook and later taken down. Raw Story, citing the Houston Chronicle, says it showed six AI-generated people, and that Wong posted it on Friday. Raw StoryL “Wong posted the video on Facebook on Friday, then took it down. It depicted six AI-generated Black people.” Read at Raw Story ↗ NewsweekN “It has now been removed from the campaign's social media platforms.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1One figure wears a hat with Wong's name misspelled and says Wong helped "at my worst time". Newsweek reports that viewers questioned the video's authenticity after noticing visual distortions and similar-sounding voices. It adds that the Fort Bend County Republican Party also shared the video before deleting its posts. NewsweekN “Viewers quickly began questioning the video's authenticity after noticing apparent visual distortions and similarities between the speakers' voices.”“The Fort Bend County Republican Party also shared the video alongside a caption expressing support for Wong before the posts were deleted.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Mixed · 2Wong's Democratic opponent, Fort Bend County Pct. 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy, called the video "reprehensible and disgusting" and "racist, vile and flat-out wrong". McCoy said it used "the faces of ordinary people to fake support from Black voters". NewsweekN “"Stealing the faces of ordinary people to fake support from Black voters is racist, vile and flat-out wrong," McCoy said.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Raw StoryL “called it “reprehensible and disgusting.”” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1According to Raw Story, McCoy alleged the figures were built from the faces of paid campaign workers who had sent selfies when checking in at polling sites. Wong's campaign did not answer questions about whether that is true. Raw StoryL “He alleged the figures were built from the faces of paid campaign workers who had sent selfies when they checked in at polling sites. Wong's campaign didn’t answer questions about whether that’s true.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Wong's campaign says the video was created by a Democrat and sent to the campaign, and that the campaign did not produce it. Raw Story notes that no evidence was offered for this. The campaign accused McCoy of playing the "race card". Raw StoryL “Wong posted a statement saying a Democrat made the video and passed it to his campaign, but offered no evidence.” Read at Raw Story ↗ NewsweekN “The campaign did not participate in the planning, production, or any creative aspect of the video.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Centre · 1Campaign communications director Bobby Eberle told Newsweek the video came from a supporter who is a Black Democrat and that a social media staffer posted it. Eberle told FOX 26 Houston that the creator said consent was obtained from the people depicted, and that the campaign would like to make a real video with them. Newsweek says it has not independently verified the consent claim. NewsweekN “The campaign says the video's creator told it that consent had been obtained, but Newsweek has not independently verified that claim.”“what I'd love to do is make a real video with them in it.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1Eberle also said McCoy and others were making it a racial issue when everyone featured was a Black Democrat supporting Wong over McCoy. NewsweekN “trying to make this some kind of racial issue, when the supporter and everyone featured in the video were Black Democrats” Read at Newsweek ↗ Left · 1Rice University's Liam Mayes told the Houston Chronicle, as relayed by Raw Story, that using real people's likenesses this way would be "deeply unethical". Raw Story also notes that Texas prohibits deepfakes from airing within 30 days of an election. Raw StoryL “Rice University’s Liam Mayes said using real people’s likenesses this way would be “deeply unethical.” Texas prohibits deepfakes from airing within 30 days of an election.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Mixed · 2Wong was appointed interim county judge in April after K.P. George was suspended following a felony money-laundering conviction. Early voting is under way, and the election is on 3 November. NewsweekN “He was appointed to the interim role in April after former county judge K.P. George was suspended following a felony money-laundering conviction” Read at Newsweek ↗ Raw StoryL “He’s on the ballot Nov. 3.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Short report, based on the Houston Chronicle, that leads with the backlash over a "deepfaked" video and stresses the campaign's lack of evidence.
- Emphasis
- McCoy's allegation about paid workers' selfies, the campaign's non-answer, the expert's ethics comment and Texas's 30-day deepfake rule.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include the campaign's consent claim or Eberle's statement that those depicted were Black Democrats supporting Wong.
- Charged language
- “deepfaked”“under fire”
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Longer, more even account that gives the campaign's explanation in its own words alongside McCoy's criticism.
- Emphasis
- Eberle's statements, the consent claim and its lack of verification, the Republican Party's sharing of the video, and the wider rise of AI in campaigning.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the paid-worker selfie allegation, the expert comment or the Texas deepfake law.
- Charged language
- “backlash”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Wong, a Republican seeking a full term, posted an AI-generated video of Black supporters, which was later removed.
- Democratic opponent Dexter McCoy condemned the video as reprehensible and racist.
- Wong's campaign says a Democrat created the video and sent it to the campaign.
- Wong was appointed in April after the previous judge was suspended after a felony conviction; the election is 3 November.
Where accounts differ
-
Who made the video and whether the depicted people consented
- Left
- Raw Story says Wong's campaign offered no evidence for its claim that a Democrat made the video. It reports McCoy's allegation that the faces came from paid campaign workers' selfies, which the campaign did not address.
- Centre
- Newsweek reports the campaign's account that a Black Democratic supporter made the video and obtained consent, and says it has not independently verified the consent claim.
- Right
- No right-leaning outlet covered the story.
Daniel Wong person
Wong's campaign says it did not produce the video, which it says a Democratic supporter made and sent in. It says the video was taken down after the controversy, and accuses McCoy of playing the "race card" and of making it a racial issue.
“it was not produced by the campaign. It has now been removed from the campaign's social media platforms.” — Newsweek
“His campaign accused McCoy of playing the “race card.”” — Raw Story
Republican Party party
The Fort Bend County Republican Party shared the video with a caption supporting Wong, then deleted the posts.
“The Fort Bend County Republican Party also shared the video alongside a caption expressing support for Wong before the posts were deleted.” — Newsweek
Left1 article
-
Texas official under fire after deepfaked voter video surfaces
Critical Brief report presenting the video as a deepfake and highlighting the campaign's unsupported response.
Centre1 article
-
Texas Republican Judge Faces Backlash Over AI Endorsement Video
Neutral Balanced account giving the campaign's and McCoy's statements at length, noting what is unverified.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 27 Oct 00:44 First Raw StoryL Texas official under fire after deepfaked voter video surfaces
- 27 Oct 16:13 +15h 29m NewsweekN Texas Republican Judge Faces Backlash Over AI Endorsement Video
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…