--- title: "AI disinformation videos target US Senate candidates" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ai-disinformation-videos-target-us-senate-candidates" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ai-disinformation-videos-target-us-senate-candidates" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ai-disinformation-videos-target-us-senate-candidates.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ai-disinformation-videos-target-us-senate-candidates" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-28T01:05:27.331Z" source_reported: "2026-10-28T00:19:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-28T01:05:27.331Z" trust_score: 48 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-28T01:00:16.923416+00:00" --- # AI disinformation videos target US Senate candidates *Videos linked to Russia misuse real people's images to spread false claims about two Democrats.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 48 of 100, higher is better. Trust 48 – named sources and date provided, but only one original report and no independent outlets. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95 – explains relevance, quotes affected parties, separates facts, gives specifics and next steps. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype 15 – measured language, no sensationalism, headline matches article content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Social media videos, potentially created with artificial intelligence and linked to Russia, are being used to spread disinformation about two Democratic Senate candidates. - The videos misuse real individuals' names and photographs to create false narratives. - Targets include Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Texas candidate James Talarico. - The platform X has removed some of the original posts, but copies remain online. Social media videos, believed to be produced with artificial intelligence and linked to Russia, are misusing real people's names and photographs to spread disinformation about two Democratic Senate candidates. The videos are circulating in the final stretch of midterm voting. One target is Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who is running against Republican Jon Husted. Another is Texas candidate James Talarico, who is running against Republican Ken Paxton. One video targeting Brown includes a picture of Haya Akbik, who interned for him. Akbik told The Associated Press that any claims attributed to her in the clip are false and harmful to her reputation and the senator. Experts see similarities to Russian clips from 2024 that targeted Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, suggesting the same network may be involved. The Russian Embassy in Washington has previously denied interfering in US elections. The video targeting Talarico is described as a direct-to-camera confessional from a former student. Talarico's spokesperson stated that opponents are using AI deepfakes and foreign bots to slander him because they cannot defeat him with truth. Experts, including Dartmouth College professor Hany Farid, have analysed the videos and believe they were likely generated or manipulated using AI. The platform X has taken down initial posts and suspended users for violating rules, but copies of the videos continue to circulate online. ## Disagreement on video authenticity Washington Top News reported that one video targeting Brown appears to include some AI manipulation, while the other, targeting Talarico, is likely generated by AI. Hany Farid, a Dartmouth College professor, stated his analyses showed the videos targeting Brown and Talarico were likely either generated or manipulated using AI. Farid described the video targeting Brown as a "fairly low-tech fake." ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mention the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's response or lack thereof to requests for comment on the videos. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (6) - Centre: 50% (6) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-28T01:00:16.923416+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-28T01:15:24.286Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports led on the use of artificial intelligence and Russian links in the disinformation campaign targeting Democratic Senate candidates Sherrod Brown and James Talarico. These reports highlighted that real people's names and photographs were misused to spread false claims. They noted the similarity to previous Russian disinformation efforts and the difficulty in containing the spread of such content online. The reports also mentioned X's action to remove posts and suspend users. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the core fact that social media videos, believed to be linked to Russia and potentially using AI, are misusing real people's images to malign two Democratic Senate candidates. They identified Sherrod Brown and James Talarico as the targets and mentioned the involvement of their opponents. The reports noted that X had taken down some of the original posts containing the videos. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 4 - veryHigh: 8 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/27/midterm-election-disinformation-russia-talarico-brown/bcafa960-d264-11f1-9931-2a41b76fc976_story.html) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/us-politics/2026/10/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates – WTOP News - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/midterm-election-disinformation-russia-talarico-brown-c52f2c1720a0bb1ea86545d260aaf969) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [Daily Record](https://dailyrecordnews.com/ap_news/hitech/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates/article_34158c18-c5aa-5702-8764-5e82dfc8e402.html) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [Bozeman Daily Chronicle](https://bozemandailychronicle.com/wire/business/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates/article_c76c5b59-f5fb-53d3-9ba5-54dc0f6a61c7.html) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [Leader-Telegram](https://leadertelegram.com/elections/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates/article_f254c572-ac40-50cd-993d-fcc87ca618bd.html) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/10/28/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/business/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates/article_1735b6e3-a59c-5234-98dd-3ad3d056e277.html) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/business/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates/article_a9e9d3f2-7ee0-5465-a494-d1e2ce3f22e0.html) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/sci-tech/2026/10/27/disinformation-videos-likely-from-russia-are-exploiting-real-people-to-malign-senate-candidates) — Disinformation videos, likely from Russia, are exploiting real people to malign Senate candidates ## Questions **What are the disinformation videos about?** The videos are believed to be AI-generated and linked to Russia. They misuse real people's names and photographs to spread false information about two Democratic Senate candidates, Sherrod Brown and James Talarico, in an effort to influence midterm election outcomes. **Who are the candidates targeted by the videos?** The candidates targeted are Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who is running against Republican Jon Husted, and Texas candidate James Talarico, who is running against Republican Ken Paxton. Both are Democrats. **What actions have been taken regarding the videos?** The social media platform X has taken down some of the initial posts that shared the videos and suspended the users responsible for violating its rules. However, copies of the videos have been found elsewhere online. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ai-disinformation-videos-target-us-senate-candidates. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "AI disinformation videos target US Senate candidates", https://mediabias.news/politics/ai-disinformation-videos-target-us-senate-candidates