Fact Check

Do Photos Show Biden and Harris Celebrating Trump’s Indictment?

In the wake of news of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s indictment, social media were rife with specious claims.

Published Mar 31, 2023

 (Image via Jonny Maga (@_johhnymaga)/Twitter)
Image Via Image via Jonny Maga (@_johhnymaga)/Twitter
Claim:
Photographs shared to Twitter authentically show President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris celebrating in the White House as news broke of former President Trump’s indictment.

On March 31, 2023, a Twitter user posted on Twitter side-by-side photos of U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and claimed they celebrated the indictment of former President Donald Trump the day before.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told Snopes that the photos are "inauthentic."

We also found clear evidence within the photos themselves that they weren't real. 

"Photos reportedly show President Biden celebrating in the White House as news broke of the Trump indictment," Twitter user Jonny Maga (@_johhnymaga) tweeted on March 31, 2023, with the two attached photos. One picture showed Biden dancing and the other showed Biden and Harris laughing and hugging each other.

The images were generated using artificial intelligence (AI). They included clear tells. The second photo shows Harris having six fingers. Moreover, she was on weeklong Africa tour when the photos were supposedly taken.

Given that the pictures were AI-generated and the fact that the vice president was in Africa at the time, we rate the claim "False."

Sources

"China's Global Influence Looms over Harris Trip to Africa." AP NEWS, 31 Mar. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-africa-china-tanzania-zambia-a17d6d9a4c409d79e429d2a6494fe23c.

"Donald Trump Indicted; Expected to Surrender Early next Week." AP NEWS, 30 Mar. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-indictment-election-027d0e5ac1881a4c55c6379deae75faa.

Damakant Jayshi is a former writer for Snopes.

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