The Claim:
A December 29, 2023 deep fake video features US Congressman Rob Wittman endorsing military support for Taiwan if candidates from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) emerge victorious in the January 13 presidential election has emerged on TikTok. The fake video gained traction with a caption in traditional Chinese on TikTok, stating: “Interview with Rob Wittman, vice chairman of the United States House Committee on Armed Services, publicly campaigning for the DPP.”
In the video, Wittman is falsely portrayed as saying, “If Lai and Hsiao became president, the United States would accelerate all arms sales to Taiwan, send US military personnel with combat experience to assist Taiwan’s training, and invite Taiwan’s army to train in the United States, to strengthen self-defense capabilities.”
Narrative Context:
The release of this deepfake video strategically coincides with the upcoming presidential election in Taiwan. The Chinese government has promoted disinformation about the DPP to undermine Taiwanese support for it. This deep fake video is intended to stoke false voter concerns about US meddling in the Taiwanese election.
The Facts:
AFP fact checkers used a combination of reverse image and keyword search on Google and discovered a video interview with Wittman published by US television station WUSA on its website and verified YouTube channel on March 2, 2022 (archived links here and here). Proving that Wittman never mentioned Taiwan in the interview.
