Ed Cox, the chair of the New York GOP, has spoken out against a deepfake video targeting Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. The video was created by Democratic congressional candidate Blake Gendebien and has been described as offensive and sexist.
Cox stated, “Blake Gendebien’s AI-generated attack video against Congresswoman Stefanik represents a new low in political discourse and a blatantly sexist assault on one of New York’s most accomplished public servants.” He emphasized that the digitally manipulated content demeans Representative Stefanik and reduces her to an objectified caricature.
Cox highlighted the misuse of deepfake technology to perpetuate stereotypes, noting, “When deepfake technology is weaponized to perpetuate sexist stereotypes and reduce a powerful woman to a caricature, it crosses every line of decency and respect.”
The NYGOP Chair called for Gendebien to apologize to Stefanik, remove the content from all platforms, and ensure his campaign maintains dignity. Additionally, he urged Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to denounce the attack. Cox remarked that such tactics should not be part of New York politics.
