Donald Trump’s attempted hijacking of Taylor Swift was really, really dumb. Here’s why.

Over the weekend, the Donald Trump campaign posted terrible AI-generated image of Taylor Swift endorsing Trump for president. In case you haven’t seen it yet, it looked like this.

It was a cheap stunt designed to own the libs. But in reality, this was an incredibly stupid move. Here’s why.

It’s an unauthorized use of Swift’s likeness and image

It’s illegal to use someone’s name and image to falsely indicate an endorsement of a person or product. I’m sure someone within the campaign will argue that this is parody and satire and thus falls under the umbrella of free speech. But there are now laws against these sorts of deepfakes, including the ELVIS Act. (It, admittedly, may not apply because it deals mostly with audio impersonations, but there are other US bills in the work that cover all manner of deepfakes.)

Swift could sue, but…

…that’s exactly what Trump wants. By the time the case winds its way through the courts, the election will be long over. Swift’s best retaliation is through politic activism on behalf of Harris/Walz and the Democrats. It’s possible that she will give her endorsement to the Harris ticket any second now, thereby negating any and all effect of the dumb AI move.

It has only mobilized Swifties against Trump and the Republicans

There is nothing as fierce as a Swiftie scorned. They’ve already been working to register fans to vote Democrat. Look out, MAGA.

No one was fooled by this.

Swift previously endorsed Joe Biden. If a single person thinks she’s changed her allegiance–she HATES the guy–they’re among the dumbest people on earth. And besides, most people understand the scourge of deepfakes by now.