An image circulating online, purportedly showing U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham with two shirtless fighters at a UFC event at the White House on June 14, 2026, has been identified as fabricated.
The image spread across various social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and Reddit. Many posts alluded to rumors about Graham’s personal life.
Investigation revealed that the image was generated using artificial intelligence software. OpenAI’s verification tools detected SynthID, an invisible watermark developed by Google for AI-generated images, which is also utilized by OpenAI.
The fabricated image appears to be based on an actual photograph Graham posted on his official X and Facebook accounts on June 14, 2026. In that authentic picture, Graham is seen with two men in suits, and he captioned it, “Looking forward to the fights. Happy birthday, @POTUS!” This original photo showed no signs of digital alteration.
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