Fact-check: Photo of Trump and Grenell holding 'Free Imran Khan' banner created using AI
No reputable media outlet has reported on an actual photo of Trump and Grenell holding a Free Imran Khan banner
Updated Wednesday Jan 08 2025
A photo circulating on social media allegedly shows United States president-elect Donald Trump alongside his close confidant Richard Grenell holding a banner calling for the release of Imran Khan, the jailed former prime minister of Pakistan.
The claim is false. The photo was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
Claim
On December 23, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted a photo that purports to show US president-elect Donald Trump and his former intelligence chief, Richard Grenell, at a rally. The banner they are holding reads: "Free Imran Khan."
The image was shared with the caption: "Those who love prisoner Number 804 please repost this tweet and increase your followers." The tweet has been viewed over 61,000 times, reposted more than 2,100 times, and liked over 3,700 times as of this writing.
The photo also circulated on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Some online users believed the image to be real.
Fact
The image in question was not taken at a real event but was generated using AI tools.
Upon closer inspection, the photo shows the text "Grok" in the bottom-right corner. Grok is a known AI image generation tool, which clearly indicates that this photo was created artificially.
Several anomalies in the image further suggest it was not a genuine photo. For example, Donald Trump's left hand exhibits unnatural distortions, including an abnormally large thumb. While Richard Grenell's right hand has multiple fingers, with three pairs of fingers visible and a missing thumb.
Additionally, no reputable media outlet has reported on an actual photo of Trump and Grenell holding a Free Imran Khan banner. This supports the claim that the image is fabricated.
Verdict: The image circulating on social media is not an authentic photograph but was generated using AI tools. The presence of AI markers, visual distortions, and the lack of credible media reporting all confirm the image as a fabricated creation.
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