Elton John in a MAGA jacket? That's an AI-generated photo | Fact check
The claim: Photo shows Elton John wearing a MAGA coat
A Sept. 7 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows a picture of musician Elton John wearing a bright pink coat with the word "MAGA" on the front, a reference to former President Donald Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again."
"Just found out Elton John has publicly supported Trump lol," reads the post's caption. "Ik the 'special' people are upset. 58 more days us (sic)."
The post was reposted more than 50 times in five days.
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Our rating: Altered
The image is fabricated. A representative for John told USA TODAY it was not a real image, and experts confirmed the picture was AI-generated.
Image has tell-tale signs of fabrication
A spokesperson for John declined to be identified but confirmed the photo was not real.
"The photo circulating online is definitely not Elton John, and he has never worn a MAGA jacket," the representative told USA TODAY.
Hive Moderation's AI detection tool found the image was 100% likely to be AI-generated. Jevin West, the co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, said in an email that another tool called TrueMedia detected strong signs of fabrication and that the image was likely created with the program Midjourney.
Walter Scheirer, an engineering professor at the University of Notre Dame, told USA TODAY there were a few signs that show it's not real.
"The biggest giveaway to me that this is an AI-generated image is Elton John's overall appearance," Scheirer said in an email. "The image depicts a much younger Elton. Photos taken of him in 2024 show a much older man, with more wrinkles on the face. Further, the famous gap between his teeth is missing. AI struggles to replicate all details when synthesizing photos of a real identity."
Fact check: Joe Biden recognized Elton John with humanities award at White House ceremony
In a Sept. 7 interview with the magazine Variety, John said Trump has been a fan of his music and has been to his concerts "many, many times." But he said he does not tell people whether to vote for Democrats or Republicans.
"I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people: the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be," John told the magazine. "And that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court.”
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
Jevin West, Sept. 11, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Walter Scheirer, Sept. 11, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Variety, Sept. 7, Elton John Says Donald Trump Calling Kim Jong Un ‘Little Rocket Man’ Was ‘Brilliant,’ but Urges People to Vote for a ‘Calmer, Safer’ America
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Photo of Elton John endorsing MAGA is fabricated | Fact check