Fake Donald Trump Arrest Photos, Rally Video Debunked

Using artificial intelligence, fake images depict former President Donald Trump being pushed to the ground by police.
If the Manhattan grand jury were to indict Trump, it would be the first time a former or incumbent president of the United States faced criminal charges
A Facebook video depicts a demonstration in support of former President Donald Trump

According to two people who know the situation, the Manhattan district attorney has instructed the grand jury to consider potential charges against former President Donald Trump to remain at home on Wednesday rather than reconvening as scheduled.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg plans to reassemble the grand jury on Thursday to resume their work. Uncertainty surrounds the cause of this delay, including the possibility that another possible witness must be heard.

Fake Trump Arrest Hit Internet

On Monday, the grand jury heard from Trump friend Robert Costello, who attempted to undermine the prosecution's major witness: former fixer and personal attorney Michael Cohen.

According to various sources, the grand jury was prepared on Friday to deliver an indictment judgment as soon as this week. They were due to meet again on Wednesday afternoon.

Later in the day, Bragg's office declined to comment, stating that it could not discuss grand jury concerns. The proceedings have been kept under wraps. NBC News verified that prosecutors were dissatisfied with Cohen's appearance on Ari Melber's MSNBC show and contacted Cohen's attorney to advise him against future Televised appearances.

The latest developments come five days after Trump told the world he expected to be arrested and urged his supporters to "PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST" in New York City, where throngs of uniformed NYPD, Secret Service, and other officers secured the perimeter of the Manhattan Criminal Court in anticipation of a possible grand jury indictment.

So far, protests have been infrequent and mostly subdued. Earlier this week, a few members of the New York Young Republican's Club wore MAGA hats and gathered in front of the Manhattan Criminal Court, while Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan has been the site of a few spontaneous protests.

If the grand jury decides to prosecute Trump, it would be the first indictment of a sitting or past president in US history. But, with the shadow of the Jan. 6 uprising still looming large, the NYPD and its law enforcement allies at all levels of government are preparing appropriately.

According to an internal document, NYPD officers of all ranks were instructed to don their uniforms and prepare for deployment beginning Tuesday. The commanding officer of the NYPD's operations division issued a letter instructing all uniformed service members to be aware of the policy regarding the public disorder and to be ready for mobilization at any time while on duty.

As of Tuesday, March 21, former president Donald Trump has not been arrested; therefore, recent social media images that have gone viral cannot be genuine. The assertion that he was apprehended in Washington, DC, is false.

Trump has stated that he is awaiting an indictment from Mar-a-Lago, Florida, and not Washington, DC. The Manhattan district attorney's office in New York would issue the indictment, which has yet to occur, according to News2.

Eliot Higgins, the founder of the intelligence and investigation firm Bellingcat, generated these photographs using an artificial intelligence technique. Higgins initially tweeted the photographs on March 20.

Higgins wrote: "Creating images of Trump's arrest while waiting for Trump's arrest."

In a thread, he provided numerous alternative versions of Trump's arrest. He also tweeted AI-generated images of Donald Trump Jr. and Melania Trump cursing at police officers. Higgins stated in the Twitter thread that he made the photos with Midjourney, a free artificial intelligence application enabling users to create realistic visuals.

Video Shows Fake Trump Protest

Meanwhile, a Facebook video depicts a demonstration supporting former President Donald Trump, with horn-honking automobiles flying American and pro-Trump flags. Formerly released on TikTok, the video was shared more than 700 times in two days. The video's title needs to be corrected. It depicts a Trump-supporting rally that occurred in late 2020.

The day before this article, Trump called for demonstrations after declaring he expected to be jailed shortly. Yet, the social media video has no connection to this occurrence.

Instead, the video depicts a support gathering for Trump on October 4, 2020, two days after he declared he tested positive for COVID-19. The New York Post reported the demonstration, and the story includes a picture of the rally that matches portions of the social media footage.

Both depict the same man wrapped in a red "Trump 2020" banner and standing in the back of a black pickup truck with the spare wheel fastened with pink straps. Both the video and image in the Post report depict a man standing next to another truck while brandishing an American flag that reads "Trump 2020."

Keeping with the historical period from which this movie originates, it depicts a variety of flags and banners commemorating Trump's failed 2020 attempt for a second term, as per USA Today.