The rumor mill about immigrants attacking household pets got its start in thinly sourced anecdotes shared at government meetings and on social media. Some of the images shared by social media users were openly prejudiced, showing Black people chasing after cats. These images and videos often create a more engaging and shareable post — regardless of whether they’re based in truth. There were cats holding military-style rifles to defend themselves, cats holding up political signs, cats and ducks sitting side-by-side, AI-generated humans holding cat-related signs and cats and ducks being cuddled by Trump. At least two of the widely viewed AI videos of Trump and animals were made using the software of Chinese AI startup MiniMax, according to watermarks on the videos.

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Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk’s, Trump, Kamala Harris, A.J, Bauer, ”, ” Bauer, they’ve, Harris, ” Imran Ahmed, ” Ahmed, Jack Posobiec, Posobiec, Black, Jimmy Kimmel’s, Eric Swalwell, “, ” Trump, Alice Marwick, ” Marwick, we’ve, MiniMax Organizations: University of Alabama, Adobe, Local, Trump, Center, Judiciary, Republicans, Data & Society, Marwick, Consumers Locations: Springfield , Ohio