A digitally manipulated image inserting the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein into a genuine 1991 family photograph of Donald Trump has been widely shared online and debunked by fact-checkers.
Snopes determined that the image was AI-manipulated, with Epstein added to a real 1991 photo showing Trump with his 9-year-old daughter. The original photograph did not include Epstein, and his presence in the circulating version was the result of digital alteration.
The manipulated image plays on long-running public interest in Trump’s documented past association with Epstein, which has been the subject of extensive scrutiny since Epstein’s 2019 death in custody. That genuine history can make fabricated images linking the two men appear more plausible to viewers.
Altered images are a prevalent form of misinformation, and advances in AI and editing tools have made such manipulations increasingly convincing. Doctored photos involving high-profile figures can spread rapidly and shape public perceptions.
Fact-checkers debunk such images by locating the original photograph, comparing it against the altered version and identifying signs of digital manipulation. Snopes’s analysis confirmed that the authentic 1991 photo had been modified to insert Epstein.
The case underscores the growing challenge of distinguishing genuine images from manipulated ones, and the role of fact-checking in identifying fabricated visuals that exploit real historical context to mislead audiences.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.snopes.com/