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Deceptive Robocall: Joe Biden Impersonator Tells New Hampshire Voters to Stay Home | World News
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As voters in New Hampshire geared up to participate in the state’s pivotal primary on Tuesday, a deceptive robo-call has been making the rounds, falsely dissuading Democrats from voting by using a fabricated audio clip of President Joe Biden.
The call, which audibly resembles Biden, leverages his signature phrase, “What a bunch of malarkey,” advising recipients to reserve their vote for November and asserting that participating in Tuesday’s primary aids Trump’s re-election efforts.
The message falsely advises, “It’s important that you save your vote for the November election…voting this Tuesday only empowers the Republicans in their mission to re-elect Donald Trump.”
Unlawful tactics
The call, which audibly resembles Biden, leverages his signature phrase, “What a bunch of malarkey,” advising recipients to reserve their vote for November and asserting that participating in Tuesday’s primary aids Trump’s re-election efforts.
The message falsely advises, “It’s important that you save your vote for the November election…voting this Tuesday only empowers the Republicans in their mission to re-elect Donald Trump.”
Unlawful tactics
- John Formella, the Attorney General of New Hampshire, labeled the Sunday-distributed message as an illicit endeavor to disrupt voting, urging voters to “completely ignore this message.” Formella has taken action by initiating an investigation into what he perceives as a clear “illegal endeavor to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress the voters of the state.”
- The level of backing for the initiative to write in Biden’s name is under scrutiny, especially considering the President’s lackluster performance in recent polls. However, it’s important to note that these results won’t influence the Democratic Party’s selection process.
- NBC News was the first to report on this deceptive call.
Misattribution and response
- The call also mischievously includes the personal mobile number of Kathy Sullivan, a former New Hampshire ballot law commissioner and chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
- Sullivan denounced the robo-call as a blatant attempt at election meddling and has called for a thorough investigation. The extent of the call’s distribution remains uncertain.
- Sullivan revealed that she became aware of the deceptive call on Sunday evening.
- “Several individuals have reported receiving a fake voice message, artificially generated to mimic President Biden’s voice, in a ploy to deter them from participating in the imminent
New Hampshire primary ,” she said. - She also noted that the call was linked to her personal mobile number without her consent.
- Although not contending in New Hampshire’s primary, Biden is indirectly involved via a write-in campaign. The call deceitfully appeared to originate from Kathy Sullivan’s phone, a notable state Democratic figure, who has since reported the incident to authorities, denouncing it as “blatant election interference.”
- With reports from numerous voters like Gail Huntley, the call’s authenticity was initially compelling, despite its illogical content. The White House and Biden’s campaign have categorically denied any association with the call, emphasizing their commitment to counteract voting suppression and misinformation.
A digital disinformation trend
- This incident underscores the escalating concern of generative AI’s role in fabricating election-related misinformation, a global issue recognized by digital forensics experts and political analysts alike.
- The rapid advancement of generative AI, capable of producing text, images, and videos from broad prompts, has sparked both enthusiasm for its potential and concerns about its implications, including the possibility of disrupting elections and even overshadowing human capabilities.
- The campaign team for former President Donald Trump has categorically denied any involvement in the robo-call.
- Similarly, the campaign for Dean Phillips, a Democratic presidential hopeful and congressman from Minnesota, has distanced itself from the incident.
- The Phillips campaign was alerted to the call by a journalist on Sunday evening.
- “Any action aimed at deterring voters is reprehensible and a blatant violation of democratic principles. The potential exploitation of AI to manipulate voters is profoundly troubling,” the Phillips campaign expressed.
- Regulatory dilemma: Despite the growing misuse of AI in politics, legislative and regulatory measures remain in developmental stages, with the Federal Election Commission currently deliberating on how to address AI deepfakes in political advertising.
- The bigger picture: Experts like David Becker express concerns beyond vote suppression, suggesting such tactics aim to detach Americans from factual democratic discourse. Meanwhile, reactions from political quarters unanimously condemn the AI misuse as a direct threat to democratic integrity.
(With inputs from agencies)
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