Donald Trump's address over Charlie Kirk questioned as his 'finger disappears' during video
People think Donald Trump's finger 'goes missing' during a video message about the death of Charlie Kirk.
Authorities say the right-wing activist, 31, was subject to a 'political assassination' at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday (11 September)
Kirk suffered a single shot to the neck while answering a question from one of the 3,000 people in attendance, and was later pronounced dead in hospital.
In a video message recorded in the White House, the US president hit out against the 'radical left' while police are still searching for the individual who fired the weapon.
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Officials arrested two individuals on Wednesday who ended up being released because they had 'no ties' to the crime.
The Department of Public Safety has said it is actively working at 'multiple crime scenes' identified based on where Kirk was shot, 'as well as the locations where the suspect and victim travelled'.
Trump reflected on the 'shock and horror' in the video message which was shared on social media.
Some viewers, however, think the footage is AI-generated after claiming that his pinkie finger 'vanishes' for less than a second, around 19 seconds into the clip.
See what you think:
After people posted slowed-down versions of the video, one X user claimed: "Pretty sure this is AI."
While a second penned: "Seeing it correctly, zoom in slow, pinky disappears and regrows from thin air."
"Uhhhhhhh guys why are they deepfaking the president?" another questioned.
As someone else said: "Seee I knew it was AI."
Despite the uproar online, people claiming to be video editors say that 'it could also be a transform cut'.
"I've used that before when I need to cut out an um or a cough, and the shots on either side of that are so almost identical that they can be spliced together. It can look wonky like that."
Offering another explanation, one person commented: "It’s just highly color corrected.
Another suggested: "They made a cut for some reason, something in the background reflecting off the window changed and caused them to look different."
"How is it AI generated? Watch well. It isn’t AI generated," a third added.
Back to his actual speech, the Republican leader called it 'a dark moment for America', pledging to crack down on 'political violence'.
"I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk," Trump said.
"He inspired millions and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror."
Topics: Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, Politics, AI
Anish Vij