Claim: A video circulating on social media shows former US President Donald Trump pledging to help former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan get out of jail and regain power if he wins the 2024 US presidential election.
Fact: The video in question is a deepfake, artificially generated by an application known as ParrotAI. This app allows users to create videos with celebrity likenesses speaking scripted lines. It is intended for entertainment but has potential misuse for spreading misinformation.
On 24 March 2024, X/Twitter user Abdul Majeed Khan Marwat (@koolkopper) published a video showing former US president and 2024 US presidential election candidate Donald Trump praising former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and committing to get him out of jail if he is elected.
The video in question features Donald Trump allegedly stating, “Hello, my Pakistani American friends, I promise, if I win, I will try my best to get Imran Khan out of jail as soon as possible. He is my friend. I love him. I will support him to take over the government again. And rock. And we will work together to make our ties stronger. Imran Khan Zindabad.” This video has been widely circulated on WhatsApp and various social media platforms.
The video was “forwarded many times” on WhatsApp
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check conducted a reverse image search on keyframes from the video and found multiple instances where Trump is seen in the same attire and setting but speaking on various topics. This suggests that the video is a doctored version of an unrelated speech.
The ParrotAI watermark can be seen on the exact same video of Trump, this time advertising an orchestra known as “omega three” on their Facebook page.
Several of these videos featuring Trump are watermarked with the text “made with TryParrotAI.com”, indicating their artificial origin.
This application allows users to create video clips using celebrity personas. Users can type in text and have it spoken out by a digital version of their chosen celebrity. It’s designed for entertainment purposes, such as sending personalised messages or jokes, but it can easily be used to spread political misinformation.
Purchasing the premium version of the application could remove this watermark from the video under scrutiny.
Trump is in the same clothes and speaking against the same background of the American flag in the same setting regarding different non-serious topics, which makes it clear the videos were all generated with the ParrotAI application.
Virality
Abdul Majeed Khan Marwat’s Twitter post received 3,900 views, and the video seems to be extensively forwarded on WhatsApp.
The same video was also posted to Facebook dozens of times, for example, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Similar deepfake videos have been created using the same application and have been published multiple times across social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, misleading tens of thousands of viewers.
Conclusion: A video circulating on social media shows Donald Trump pledging support for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, promising to help him out of jail and support his return to power if elected in 2024. The video is a deepfake and not a genuine endorsement.
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Background image in cover photo: BBC
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