'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A viral photo of former United States President Donald Trump wearing a life jacket and walking in knee-deep floodwater to help storm victims has gone viral on the Internet.
The now-deleted photo was posted on September 30 by a Facebook user, days after Hurricane Helene. This hurricane was a catastrophic fast-moving cyclone that struck the Big Bend region of Florida between September 26 and September 27. According to The Guardian, at least 166 people have died due to the natural disaster.
A Facebook user posted the photo of Donald Trump supposedly trying to help the Hurricane Helene victims, captioning:
"I don't think FB wants this picture on Fb. They have been deleting it."
The post was shared more than 150,000 times in just 16 hours, with several people claiming that they saw the former President being a part of the rescue operations in Valdosta.
However, the photo of Donald Trump walking through knee-deep water to help Hurricane Helene victims is fake. While the former President flew to Valdosta on September 30, he wasn't a part of the rescue operations.
Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the Facebook user's claim that Meta deleted the image from its platforms. Although the creator of the picture is unknown, it is evident that artificial intelligence was used to generate the fake image of the former President.
One of the major signs confirming the use of artificial intelligence is the discrepancy in the former President's right hand, especially his thumb. It is widely recognized among AI experts that irregularities in fingers pose a significant challenge for AI image generation to overcome.
Donald Trump's GoFundMe campaign for Hurricane Helene raises over $2 million
As per USA Today, Donald Trump launched a GoFundMe page to help the victims of Hurricane Helene, raising more than $2 million by October 1, 2024.
The GoFundMe page for the campaign reads:
"President Donald J. Trump has launched this GoFundMe campaign as an official response for MAGA supporters to offer their financial assistance to their fellow Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene. "
It continues:
"With so many across the Southeastern U.S. facing challenges after the storm, President Trump is on the ground in communities to see the aftermath firsthand. "
The page concludes by stating:
"All donations will be directed to help those most affected by Hurricane Helene. Any level of generosity will go a long way for your fellow Americans who are suffering.”
At the time of writing, the page states that a total of 25.3K people have donated. Notable contributors include American investor and landlord Steve Witkoff and former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, who each donated $500,000.
Trump includes Hurricane Helene in his 2024 campaign, accuses Joe Biden of "sleeping" during the hurricane
Donald Trump delivered his speech in front of a furniture store destroyed by Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday (September 30). He claimed that the governor of Georgia hadn't been able to reach Joe Biden because the latter was "sleeping."
However, Brian Kemp refuted the allegation shortly after, clarifying that Joe Biden had called him the previous afternoon and enquired about the situation. Kemp also mentioned that Biden had given him permission to contact the President directly in case of an emergency.
The same day, a reporter questioned Joe Biden about the claims made by Donald Trump. Without even letting the reporter finish his question, the President interjected:
“He’s lying and the governor told him he was lying. The governor told him he’s lying. I’ve spoken to the governor, spent time with him, and he told him he’s lying. I don’t know why he does it … that’s simply not true, and it’s irresponsible.”
Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall reiterated Kemp's statements during Monday's White House press briefings. She stated that Joe Biden had offered to help Brian Kemp with "anything" concerning Hurricane Helene relief.
As per The White House press release on October 2, President Biden has directed 1000 active-duty soldiers to assist with the delivery of food, water, and other necessary commodities to the people affected by Hurricane Helene.
