‘Kyrsten Sinema Introducing Donald Trump’ Video

On September 26 2022, Twitter user Paul Lahticks (@PaulLahticks) shared a purported video showing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) with former U.S. President Donald Trump:

A chyron across the video read “Kyrsten Sinema Appears With Donald Trump,” with “Speaking at Treasure Island in Las Vegas” below that; a watermark across the video read @PaulLeeTeeks (“politics.”) The tweet stated:

Fact Check

Claim: “BREAKING: After teaming up with Mitch McConnell today in Louisville to give a speech on Bipartisanship, Kyrsten Sinema introduces Donald Trump.”

Description: On September 26, 2022, it was claimed that Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) introduced former U.S. President Donald Trump at an event, as supposedly shown in a video shared on Twitter by user Paul Lahticks.

Rating: Not True

Rating Explanation: The video in question turned out to be a ‘deepfake’, a manipulated video. The Twitter user who shared it stated that it was meant as ‘political satire’. There was no such event where Sinema introduced Trump. A search on the visible news site (Fox10Phoenix.com) in the video also returned no matching results related to Sinema and Trump on that specified date.

BREAKING: After teaming up with Mitch McConnell today in Louisville to give a speech on Bipartisanship, Kyrsten Sinema introduces Donald Trump.

“Fox10Phoenix.com” was also visible in the frame, and the clip was dated September 26 2022. A search of that (real) local news site for “Sinema” and “Trump” returned no matching content when sorted by date.

A Twitter bio for @PaulLahticks read “Changing the world by any MEMES necessary,” indicating the account was possibly devoted to satirical content. As of September 26 2022, the account’s pinned tweet featured what was clearly a parody video of Trump Tower:

Several accounts shared the Sinema and Trump tweet, presumably taking it at face value. However, one of the most noticeable reply tweets featured the “original” video footage, without Sinema:

In both clips, Trump embraced the woman at the podium, then grabbed the microphone and said:

And is this a set up? Did I ever meet you before?

In subsequent tweets, @PaulLahticks addressed questions about the clip’s veracity and purpose. In one, he said the clip was “political satire”:

Look to all the newcomers that can’t seem to grasp the simple fucking concept of ‘political satire’ and got their snowflaked panties all in bunch because it’s ‘not real’, FUCK off.

It’s fun, it’s funny – and if you’re being honest it’s not that far off from really happening.

On September 26 2022, video purportedly showing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) introducing former United States President Donald Trump (R) was shared to Twitter. The clip was a “deepfake,” based on a previous video of Trump. @PaulLahticks shared the video, later explaining that it was intended as “political satire.”