Taylor Swift Fans Suspect She Subtly Addressed Donald Trump's AI Image Scandal in New Statement
Taylor Swift fans think she may have sneakily spoken out about Donald Trump's use of AI images to fake her endorsement in her latest social media post.
After concluding the European leg of the Eras Tour earlier this week, the singer finally broke her silence on the "devastating" cancellation of her three scheduled concerts in Vienna, Austria, as a result of a planned terror attack, offering fans a glimpse into the steps her team took to protect everybody for the rest of the tour and explaining why she waited more than two weeks to speak out — an explanation that may also serve to address a collection of fake images generated by artificial intelligence that the former president posted on his Truth Social platform earlier this week.
The images showed young women wearing "Swifties for Trump" tees, as well as a satire article headlined "Swifties Turning to Trump After ISIS Foiled Taylor Swift Concert," and an image of Swift dressed as Uncle Sam holding a sign that said, "Taylor Swift Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump."
"I accept!" Trump wrote alongside them as though he were accepting the singer's endorsement for a second term.
Many fans condemned the clearly fake news, as Swift has spoken out against Trump previously and endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' campaign in 2020, and encouraged her to take legal action against the former reality star.
Swift has not directly addressed the images, but some fans think that she was hinting towards them, too, when she wrote of Vienna, "Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows."
She continued, "In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that."
One fan, named Katie, shared a screenshot of the statement on X, writing, "I feel like this statement is also a subtle mention of the AI posts, btw."
It's not entirely clear what course of action Swift may have, as laws surrounding AI images are murky. For example, when the singer was the victim of a rash of deepfake, sexually explicit content that spread like wildfire earlier this year, there weren't—and still aren't—any federal laws in place to protect people from AI abuse. According to ABC News, the No AI FRAUD Act was introduced as a result, which would give people the right to control the use of their own identifying characteristics, such as their likeness and voice, though it has yet to move forward.
In Trump's case, Pace University Law Professor Leslie Garfield Tenzer told Forbes that Swift may have recourse under the Lanah Act, which "protects celebrity 'brands' and gives celebrities a cause of action against people or corps that try to use the celebrity's likeness to mislead consumers." While consumers and voters are not synonymous, Garfield Tenzer believes the "analogy could be made." He also believes she could sue for "misappropriation of likeness."
It's unlikely Swift will ever speak out publicly if she's planning to take the situation to court, as she has typically remained mum throughout previous copyright lawsuits, but it's clear that if she does choose to, it won't be until the time is right.
