Donald Trump has been warned of a likely backlash after apparently falling for AI-generated images showing Taylor Swift fans backing his presidential campaign.

Trump, the Republican candidate in the November 5 US election, shared the images on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night (US time).

The screenshots and photos appear to show a “Swifties for Trump” movement. One showed Swift in a mock “Uncle Sam” poster, saying: “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”

“I accept!” Trump wrote on his post.

Trump’s post has caused a stir.

In fact, only two of the images are genuine. They show Trump supporter Jenna Piwowarczyk wearing a “Swifties for Trump” shirt at a recent rally in Wisconsin.

Most of the other women are artificially generated and the photos were created by a popular conservative meme account. They are clearly labelled “satire”.

One of the fake pictures has the satirical headline “Swifties turning to Trump after ISIS foiled Taylor Swift concert” – a reference to the recent cancellation of Swift’s concerts in Vienna amid a suspected terror plot.

They are part of a social media campaign that emerged over the weekend that is trying to suggest the pop superstar’s legion of fans is flocking to Trump.

Unfortunately for Trump, there is little evidence that is true.

“There is no Swifties For Trump movement – but there should be,” one of the accounts that Trump reposted on Truth Social wrote in a caption on the AI-generated images.

Swift is yet to make any statements on the 2024 US election – although, even if she does, it’s not thought likely she will back Trump.

In one scene from the behind-the-scenes 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swift tells her parents she deeply regrets not speaking out publicly against Trump during his successful 2016 run for the White House.

In 2020, she endorsed the Democrats’ Joe Biden and also tweeted that Trump had stoked white supremacy and racism.

“We will vote you out in November,” she wrote.

The pop megastar has also previously spoken out in support of LGBTQ rights and criticised the decision to overturn US abortion laws in the Roe v Wade decision.

In a 2023 social media post, Swift encouraged a record 35,000 people across the US to enrol to vote.

On Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported an “exclusive” response from Swift to the apparent endorsement.

“If she didn’t support him last time, she’s not going to support him now. He’s clearly lost it. In more ways than one,” a source told the outlet.

the Taylor Swift machine has engaged multiple law firms specializing in trademark & copyright infringement.

this image will cost trump everything. pic.twitter.com/QjLEcKovA1

— Alacrity’s Ghost (@AlacritysWhatev) August 19, 2024

Trump’s Truth Social post set off a media storm.

“Trump reshared posts from his supporters that have pushed the idea of a “Swifties for Trump” movement that has little grounding in reality,” NBC News wrote.

The Daily Beast called it part of a “Sunday meltdown” because it came as Trump went on a 25-post spree that also featured “deranged rants [and] false claims”.

The New Republic warned “Trump’s bizarre AI stunt to win Taylor Swift’s endorsement backfires”, while Rolling Stone went with “Trump shares bogus ‘Swifties for Trump’ images”.

There were more ominous warnings for Trump too, with Forbes headlining its story “Trump shared fake Taylor Swift ‘endorsement’– it won’t end well”.

Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell told CNN that Trump had made a mistake by deciding to “poke the eyes of the Swifties”. On Instagram he went further.

“Of the all-time dumbest strategies in presidential politics, f—ing with Swifties will rank at the very top,” he wrote.

“Game on, Donald. They will have a marvellous time ruining everything.”

An actual support group – Swifties4Harris, which has more than 62,000 followers for Democrat candidate Kamala Harris – also responded.

“We do not represent every Swiftie, but I think there is a reason we don’t need AI to show our support for Kamala,” co-founder Irene Kim told Wired.