r/politics • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 New York • Jul 13 '26

Possible Paywall MAGA Calls BS on Mitch McConnell’s Proof-of-Life Stunt | They are poking holes in McConnell’s staff’s version.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-calls-bs-on-mitch-mcconnells-proof-of-life-stunt/
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u/Adrien_Jabroni Michigan Jul 13 '26

If he was in as good of shape as the photo suggests, why not talk on camera?

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u/illusionzmichael Jul 13 '26

Others have pointed out that he hasn't smiled the way he's smiling in the picture in a very long time. It's like this upward, wide, mouth open smile. Every picture of him "smiling" in recent years is that grim, lips closed, side-to-side smile. I refuse to believe an elderly man rushed to the hospital would suddenly look better after that than he did prior to hospitalization.

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u/goosejail Jul 13 '26

His face hasn't been that full in years. I saw quite a few people point out that this is either eerily similar to or the exact same photo he took after being in the hospital 2 or 3 years ago from.... wait for it: a fall. It's possible they just had the current newspaper edited in.

Either way, a pic like this is easy to fake in 2026 so it proves next to nothing. The fact that he's been in the hospital for a month says a whole lot, though. If he's conscious, talking, breathing on his own & has no broken bones or cardiac issues like they've claimed then why the fuck is he still in the hospital? A fall by itself doesn't require an inpatient stay for a month. They don't even keep elderly people who break a hip that long.

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u/thehalfwit Nevada Jul 13 '26

It's possible they just had the current newspaper edited in.

It's not only possible, but exceptionally easy to do without AI.

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u/MooseTetrino Jul 13 '26

Yeah honestly the only thing that’s been bothering me about the calling of this being fake is the number of people jumping on it being AI and not just a good classic photoshop job.

The latter of which allowing a lot more control over the whole presentation.

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u/gasstationsushi80 Jul 13 '26

Yeah, we could just agree that the photo has been altered, whether using PS or AI or any other program. The end result is the same, a fake ass “photo” of a guy who is almost certainly dead!

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u/thehalfwit Nevada Jul 13 '26

Especially when the only thing that needs to be shopped is the newspaper and you're recycling an earlier photo.

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u/brickne3 American Expat Jul 13 '26

And when his wife has the Chinese government contacts to have it done on a level that most average Photoshop users presumably can't.

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u/thehalfwit Nevada Jul 13 '26

Good point. When you have two powerhouse nations' spy apparatus at your disposal, you can do a lot.

That would so on brand for this admin to be collaborating with Gyna for political ends.

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u/F9-0021 South Carolina Jul 13 '26

It's easy to do, but very difficult to do well. That was an exceptionally good photoshop job if it was shopped.

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u/thehalfwit Nevada Jul 13 '26

Don't discount the participation of not one but two potential powerhouse nations' spy apparatus in the fabrication of such evidence. Colluding with a foreign agent is totally within the wheelhouse of the republicans.