As AI-generated political ads spread across the 2024 and 2025 election cycle, examples ranging from parody visuals to viral, “enhanced” candidate images are drawing attention—but not necessarily boosting trust. The real test, strategists say, will be whether a
Viral AI campaign content has reached a point where it’s no longer just a novelty—it’s starting to shape what voters see, share, and believe.
The pattern is showing up in races from city hall to the U.S. Senate, and it’s arriving at a time when confidence in American politics is already frayed. In that environment. turning candidates into superheroes. fairy-tale singers. or super-simplified cartoon versions of themselves may be entertaining for some—while leaving others less sure what they’re looking at.
Two years ago, the fight over manipulated political content was already loud. In July 2024. Elon Musk reposted on X a deepfake campaign ad featuring newly minted presidential contender Vice President Kamala Harris. in which she “spoke” about her own incompetence. The repost appeared to be a parody, and it sparked attention precisely because it looked convincing.
That same year, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom moved to curb this kind of manipulation. He promised to outlaw manipulated political posts, and he followed through. But the ban didn’t last. Courts in 2025 found it unconstitutional as an affront to free speech. and once the law was overturned. Newsom kept sharing fake images and videos.
Fast-forward to the current midterm campaign season, when AI has exploded in popularity and is becoming a prominent tool for political messaging.
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt became one of the clearest examples of how quickly AI-fueled parody can go mainstream. Ads promoting his campaign—created by supporters—featured AI-generated, cinematic-style visuals. One of the most talked-about portrayed Pratt as Batman. saving Los Angeles from California Democrats bent on destroying the city’s quality of life.
Pratt didn’t win the race. Still, the ads helped push attention toward issues the campaign raised, including rampant homelessness and the city’s lack of preparedness for wildfires.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers had a different kind of viral moment earlier this month. After a woman who works for a Rogers campaign vendor posted birthday wishes alongside an AI-enhanced photo that made Rogers look considerably more buff than he does in real life. the image went viral and quickly spawned memes. Rogers and his campaign leaned into the moment.
Not all AI political messaging has been framed as humor. A group called Citizens for Sanity released an attack ad targeting Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. In the ad. Talarico wears an apron and channels Julie Andrews from “The Sound of Music.” He “sings” to the tune of “My Favorite Things” about wanting to make more children transgender.
Another GOP group used AI in March to create a lifelike version of Talarico “reading” old social media posts. Those posts were, in fact, real.
The shift in tactics is happening while Americans’ trust in Congress sits near record lows.
Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe pointed to the practical side of the surge: AI ads can be cheap to produce and can look high quality and visually attractive. He also said the bigger challenge is how overwhelmed people are with constant content across many platforms. making it harder for any single message to break through.
Roe’s view is that this may change the shape of advertising. He said traditional campaign ads are likely to become less common. For candidates who continue to talk directly to the camera and represent themselves. he argued. “there’s going to be value and that authenticity will matter.” But he also predicted a near-term turn toward more “cartoonery.”.
Taken together, the examples move in one direction: AI content is spreading because it’s fast, cheap, and attention-grabbing. It can spark conversations—like Pratt’s Batman-style ad—but it also increases the odds that more voters will question what’s real. what’s manipulated. and what’s simply being performed.
Campaigns can post these parodies. But with trust already strained and voters already struggling to tell what’s authentic. the question isn’t whether AI can create buzz. It’s whether it can build confidence—and whether voters are better served by seeing candidates as actors in their own digital spectacle rather than hearing. plainly. what they believe and what they plan to do if elected.
AI campaign ads deepfake political advertising Spencer Pratt Mike Rogers James Talarico Gavin Newsom Elon Musk U.S. Senate midterm elections voter trust free speech authenticity
So basically they’re saying politics is confusing already, cool.
I keep seeing AI stuff on my feed and I can never tell if it’s real or like… some meme. If they outlaw it then courts say free speech, but if they don’t, people get misled. Seems like nobody actually wins.
Isn’t that the dude who got turned into Batman? Like I saw that clip and thought it was just some random supporter edit. But then people are sharing it like it’s proof of something which is wild. Also the Elon Musk part… I feel like he just loves chaos more than truth.
Why do they even need AI ads? Half the time campaign commercials are already fake in the sense of like editing and lighting and whatever. Then it’s “unconstitutional” so they keep posting fake stuff anyway. Courts are always saying free speech but I swear half these videos are straight up lying and nobody cares until election day.