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By Taryn Pedler
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A Texas Republican county judge is facing backlash over an AI-generated campaign video depicting Black supporters endorsing him and thanking him for helping them find jobs, obtain food and pay their bills.
Daniel Wong, the interim Fort Bend County judge seeking a full four-year term in the November 3 election, shared the video on his campaign's Facebook page. Wong is seeking election to a full term as Fort Bend County judge, an influential local government position in the Houston metropolitan area. He was appointed to the interim role in April after former county judge K.P. George was suspended following a felony money-laundering conviction, according to local reporting.
The controversy comes as AI-generated imagery and video become increasingly prominent in political campaigning, raising questions about the authenticity of endorsements and the potential for voters to be misled by false media.
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Bobby Eberle, the communications director for the Daniel Wong campaign, told Newsweek: "Basically, we received a video from a supporter who happens to be a black Democrat.
"The campaign did not participate in the planning, production, or any creative aspect of the video. It was simply sent to us. Our social media person posted it online, and then when all the controversy erupted, the campaign took it down."
What Happened In The Video?
The video depicted Black people expressing support for Wong and crediting him with helping them meet basic needs, including obtaining food, securing employment and keeping their electricity on.
The video was later removed from the campaign's social media accounts following criticism over its authenticity and the use of AI-generated imagery.
Wong's campaign has denied producing the video, claiming it was created by a Democratic supporter before being shared with the campaign.
However, the controversy has raised questions about how the video was produced and whether the people depicted consented to its use.
The campaign says the video's creator told it that consent had been obtained, but Newsweek has not independently verified that claim.
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"(He helped me) at my worst time," said one person in the video, wearing a misspelled "Daniel Wong" hat and standing in front of a roadside marquee covered in illegible letters.
"He gave me a job," said another. "He bought me food," one more added.
Viewers quickly began questioning the video's authenticity after noticing apparent visual distortions and similarities between the speakers' voices.
The Fort Bend County Republican Party also shared the video alongside a caption expressing support for Wong before the posts were deleted.
The post's caption praised the individuals for backing Wong in the upcoming election, saying Fort Bend County is "worth fighting for" and that "these brave men and women show it and know it."
"A big thank you to the people who believe in me—and who made this video," the caption continued.
"Every day you stand at the polls and take the abuse from Democrats, supporting a Republican because you know what’s best for Fort Bend County. I’ve been there for you when you needed a job, food, the lights on, or a way forward. Now you're here for me. That's loyalty."
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But the video sparked backlash from Fort Bend County Pct. 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy, Wong's Democratic opponent, who said the video was "reprehensible and disgusting" for reducing the perception of Black voters to people simply looking for a "handout."
"Stealing the faces of ordinary people to fake support from Black voters is racist, vile and flat-out wrong," McCoy said.
"Wong knows his agenda is extreme and it doesn't sell well in Fort Bend County, so he's using AI to manufacture support that he can't earn, and I don't think that's the judgment of someone ready to lead the most diverse county in Texas."
Wong's campaign later issued a statement distancing itself from the video's creation while confirming that it had been taken down.
The statement read: "The video that has purportedly stirred 'outrage' among Democrats was actually created by a Democrat. It was shared with the campaign, but it was not produced by the campaign. It has now been removed from the campaign's social media platforms."
Eberle also told FOX 26 Houston: "I talked to the creator of the video today, and he told me that he received consent. Obviously, it's AI-generated, we all know that, but he said he received consent from those people. They are supporters, and like I said, what I'd love to do is make a real video with them in it."
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"What I find very disappointing is the fact that Dexter McCoy and others are trying to make this some kind of racial issue, when the supporter and everyone featured in the video were Black Democrats who, in this particular race, are supporting Daniel Wong over Dexter McCoy," Eberle added.
Texas early voting is underway, with Election Day on November 3.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Gray R. Thomas
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