Republicans use deepfake video of Chuck Schumer in new attack ad
27 comments
·October 17, 2025adamredwoods
hodgehog11
Does this count as slander or libel at some point? Surely it must if they produce fake material to give off a false impression of the subject. Maybe not this case, but we must be getting there.
AnimalMuppet
Probably not at this point, because he actually said it.
I mean, it still could be - if the video shows him in a compromising position, if it shows him with a sneer that wasn't how he actually said it, or something else that makes it more negative than just the words.
I mean, look, it's still a lie, because it's pretending to be a video of him saying it, and it's not. But it's probably not slander or libel... at this point.
Natsu
It'd have to make a false statement of fact. The problem with that is, according to the article, Schumer actually did say the words and the video has a disclaimer that it's AI, though it could be more visible since it seems to get partially hidden by video controls. From the article:
> A small disclaimer tucked in the corner acknowledges its artificial origins. ... > The video has bewildered those who watched it online, given that the quote itself is real and on the record for Punchbowl News. In the original interview, Schumer explained that Democrats had prepared their healthcare-focused shutdown strategy well in advance, adding: “Their whole theory was – threaten us, bamboozle us and we would submit in a day or two.”
The part that's false here, the idea that it's a real video, would be hurt by the disclaimer of it being AI generated in the corner. And it's not a misquote of him, so it seems hard to make a defamation case out of this, even if it feels wrong.
itsme0000
[flagged]
yoyohello13
What a coincidence, they say the same thing about the left! Child sacrifice is at least something we can all agree on.
rkomorn
This is the bipartisanship I was promised.
itsme0000
So you admit it! Only a crazy person would think that left wing person would do something like that. You can share your thoughts if you want though, either claim is valid under the law.
PakG1
I can't tell if this is sarcasm/satire to make the point about the problem of today's information environment or not.
itsme0000
I’m basically saying the lying is going one way because equally absurd claims by the left are suppressed as crazy, but only because they aren’t allowed to become as ubiquitous as crazy right wing claims.
Left wing people suppose it’s a free speech issue, but it’s just the normalization of criminal behavior. I can accuse the government of anything and they can’t respond, but the Republicans will always they can retaliate against lies. If I said about a CEO what they said about FEMA employees I’d go to jail.
nxobject
I guess we've transitioned from speculating about no longer trusting video - or not thinking too deeply about veracity - to having to deal with it.
tehjoker
Wow that's really devious. My first question was beyond the outrage, was the video good? It did really look like Chuck was sneering at the people and the cut was so quick I didn't know the difference. I looked more closely, and when the video on Twitter was not fullscreen, the video controls blocked the part that said "AI Generated". I had to really look closely to notice that.
nine_zeros
The entire platform of republicans have been devious misinformation. Constant lying, every single day.
For the inevitable downvoters - explain your support of lies instead of downvoting.
aaronbrethorst
The term is ratfucking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratfucking
libraryatnight
I'm not a republican or a supporter, but my experience with your request is "But what about...?" Usually something robbed of context, not relevant, or blatantly made up and they don't care. For instance when the GOP Nazi group chat came out, some asked why "The Left" wasn't writing similar articles about people who disrespected Charlie Kirk's death. Malicious bad faith at worst and short sighted ignorance at best.
pdt409231
[dead]
oulipo2
In the same vein, is everyone's feed on Facebook and Insta full of weird pedophile AI-generated videos of seemingly ultra young girls in swimsuit moving lascively, and then the next video is some kind of AI slop of a fake "outrage scene" in some random fastfood where a fat guy is screaming at the waiter... those seem to be generated just to cause more hatred and pain to people
ares623
Sex, hate, and anger are the currencies of the modern web.
estimator7292
> those seem to be generated just to cause more hatred and pain to people
That is correct. That is the intent.
Gigachad
We are going to end up in a two tiered society with people who quit social media, and those who bought the Meta glasses and sit in a wall-e style chair being fed an endless slop outrage feed.
hkpack
Only if you think this type of content is organic and made by some people for entertainment or money.
However if you consider that it is part of the information warfare with the western societies, the end result seems to be different.
ares623
Guess which class can actually quit
dsamarin
I'm glad they used a real quote from him and acknowledged the use of AI in the bottom right.
ares623
I think this is okay. Yesterday I wrote 10 pages of documentation and opened 15 PRs in under 4 hours. Spent the rest of the day watching YouTube. My boss said I'm a very good worker and gives me pizza every week. They promised I'll be employed until I retire. IMO, the trade-offs are worth it.
oulipo2
Well I get that you're being sarcastic, but no, fucking up the democracy is not okay
gdulli
How can you tell who's being sarcastic anymore? So many people here would say that (or other things that sound like parody) completely earnestly.
ares623
Yeah it was sarcasm. I hope the downvoters use agents everyday for work.
>> Yet rather than simply quote Schumer’s words, the NRSC, the campaign arm responsible for electing Republican senators and chaired by Tim Scott, a South Carolina senator, chose to manufacture synthetic video of him speaking.
Democracy is lost to lies.