Why Are Pro-Iran Bots Pushing AI Fakes of Epstein and Trump When There’s Real Material?

A Washington Post investigation has uncovered a coordinated disinformation campaign using AI-generated content to push pro-Iran narratives. The report identified accounts like HDX News and GPX News on X, which circulated fabricated videos showing Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein, alongside other AI-generated scenes involving figures like Bill Gates and Elon Musk. These videos, which gained millions of views, promoted the false conspiracy theory that Trump started a war with Iran to distract from the Epstein scandal. Notably, nine of the 15 accounts examined by the Post were 'verified' under X's paid subscription system, lending them an air of false credibility.

This campaign is particularly insidious because it uses AI to create fake evidence for a narrative where real, documented connections already exist between Trump and Epstein. Experts warn this tactic, known as the 'liar's dividend,' aims to create enough noise and doubt to make the entire factual story seem questionable. The operation coincided with a surge in AI-generated fake war footage following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Despite X's pledges to crack down on such content, the identified accounts remained active until directly contacted by the Washington Post, raising serious questions about platform enforcement.