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Senator Bernie Sanders has accused former President Donald Trump of “laying the groundwork for election denial,” following Trump’s claims about the crowd sizes at events attended by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Let’s bring you up to speed: About a week ago, some right-leaning pundits claimed that a large crowd at Vice President Kamala Harris’s event in Detroit was artificially generated using AI technology. They pointed to certain images, suggesting that the reflections didn’t show a crowd and that some attendees’ phone screens “clearly” indicated they were in a different setting than depicted. Despite extensive photographic and video evidence, along with reports from journalists confirming that approximately 10,000 – 15,000 people attended the rally, former President Trump doubled down on his social media platform, Truth Social, insisting that the crowd was fake. He claimed, “She ‘A.I.’d‘ it,” and asserted that “nobody” was actually there. Attached is an image from a pundit, along with video evidence from the rally showing the crowd.

What Sanders said: In a statement, Senator Sanders said, “Donald Trump may be crazy, but he’s not stupid. When he claims that ‘nobody’ showed up at a 10,000 person Harris-Walz rally in Michigan that was live-streamed and widely covered by the media, that it was all AI, and that Democrats cheat all the time, there is a method to his madness. Clearly, and dangerously, what Trump is doing is laying the groundwork for rejecting the election results if he loses. If you can convince your supporters that thousands of people who attended a televised rally do not exist, it will not be hard to convince them that the election returns in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and elsewhere are ‘fake’ and ‘fraudulent.”

What Trump previously said: In a statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she “A.I.’d” it, and showed a massive “crowd” of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST! She was turned in by a maintenance worker at the airport when he noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there, later confirmed by the reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane. She’s a CHEATER. She had NOBODY waiting, and the “crowd” looked like 10,000 people! Same thing is happening with her fake “crowds” at her speeches. This is the way the Democrats win Elections, by CHEATING – And they’re even worse at the Ballot Box. She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!”

White House comments: When asked about claims of an AI crowd being utilized at the Vice President’s rally, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “Look, I’m going to be mindful in speaking about a campaign comment. What I will say is that this president and this vice president — I think what you see from both of them is optimism in a belief in this country, the future of this country.  They believe that there’s a lot at stake. And what I will say is it’s clear — it’s clear that that message has broken through and majority of Americans see and feel that optimism and certainly support what we’ve been working on, the agenda that we’ve been working on the last three and a half years.”