On August 21, 2025, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar found herself at the center of a digital storm after a deepfake video went viral, falsely depicting her making crude remarks about actress Sydney Sweeney’s ad campaign for American Eagle. The video, which appeared to show Klobuchar praising Sweeney’s physical appearance and making disparaging comments about her own political party, quickly gained traction across social media platforms, prompting outrage, confusion, and a renewed debate over the dangers of artificial intelligence-generated misinformation.
In a candid opinion piece published in The New York Times, Klobuchar recounted her initial shock upon encountering the video. "Though I could immediately tell that someone used footage from the hearing to make a deepfake, there was no getting around the fact that it looked and sounded very real," she wrote. The senator emphasized that the tone and cadence were eerily similar to her own, but the words simply were not hers. This realization underscored the unsettling power of modern AI technology, which can now fabricate highly convincing videos and audio that misrepresent individuals, often with devastating speed and reach.
The deepfake in question was particularly egregious. It depicted Klobuchar, during what appeared to be a Senate Judiciary subcommittee meeting on data privacy, making statements such as, "actress Sydney Sweeney has perfect titties," and that Democrats "want representation with ads that show ugly, fat bitches wearing pink wigs and long-ass fake nails being loud and twerking on top of a cop car at a Waffle House because they didn’t get extra ketchup." The video went further, with the fake Klobuchar saying, "Just because we’re the party of ugly people doesn’t mean we can’t be featured in ads, OK? And I know most of us are too fat to wear jeans or too ugly to go outside, but we want representation."
Klobuchar wasted no time in publicly denying the comments. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she stated, "I never thought I’d opine about Sydney Sweeney’s jeans. And that’s because I didn’t. It was AI." She continued, "Deepfakes are getting impossible to detect, especially when companies—and Congress—refuse to act. We need to give Americans control over their own images." Her frustration was palpable, and her message clear: the proliferation of deepfakes poses a significant threat to personal reputation, democratic discourse, and public trust.
According to her op-ed and subsequent statements, Klobuchar immediately contacted several major social media platforms to request the removal of the video. She praised TikTok for taking swift action to remove the content and commended Facebook (now Meta) for labeling it as AI-generated. However, her experience with X was markedly different. The platform, she noted, only offered to add a community note clarifying the video’s artificial nature but refused to remove it outright. This, despite X’s own policy prohibiting manipulated content that could cause public confusion. Klobuchar was blunt in her criticism, highlighting the platform’s failure to enforce its own rules and protect individuals from digital impersonation.
This incident was not just a personal affront; for Klobuchar, it was a wake-up call for the nation. She described the deepfake as a "vulgar and absurd critique" and warned that AI-generated misinformation can "reach millions before the truth has a chance to be acknowledged." She referenced a study indicating that exposure to misleading content—even when later corrected—can result in long-term negative perceptions of the targeted individuals. The risks, she argued, extend far beyond celebrities and politicians. Deepfakes have been used as bullying tactics among young people and have even drawn warnings from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the rising threat posed by these artificial identities.
In response to the growing menace, Klobuchar has redoubled her efforts to push for stricter regulations surrounding artificial intelligence, particularly as it pertains to deepfakes and nonconsensual imagery. Alongside Republican Senator Ted Cruz, she introduced legislation aimed at banning both actual and artificially-generated depictions of intimate content, and mandating that online platforms act swiftly to remove such material upon notification. This legislative initiative follows the earlier TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed by former President Donald Trump, which set protocols for reporting deepfakes and nonconsensual intimate images.
Klobuchar’s advocacy does not end there. She has also pitched the "No Fakes Act," which would make it illegal to create or distribute deepfakes of another person’s voice or likeness without their consent, while still making exceptions for speech protected by the First Amendment. "The internet has an endless appetite for flashy, controversial content that stokes anger. The people who create these videos aren’t going to stop at Sydney Sweeney’s jeans," she warned. The bill, she noted, enjoys bipartisan support, counting Delaware Democrat Chris Coons and Republicans Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Thom Tillis of North Carolina among its backers.
The debate over deepfake regulation is not without its detractors. Some lawmakers, including Republican Representatives Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison, have voiced concerns about the implications of such regulation for free speech and individual freedoms. They argue that overly broad restrictions could stifle legitimate expression and set a dangerous precedent for government overreach. Klobuchar, however, remains adamant that the risks posed by deepfakes outweigh these concerns, especially as AI technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, often outstripping the ability of existing laws to keep up.
In her writings and public statements, Klobuchar has painted a vivid picture of the potential societal dangers if deepfakes are left unchecked. She warned of scenarios in which a fabricated announcement from a bank CEO could trigger a financial panic, or a fake message from a government official could spark international conflict. "We need to give Americans control over their own images," she reiterated, stressing the urgent need for ethical and regulatory dialogues as the digital landscape grows ever more complex.
While the immediate controversy over the Sydney Sweeney deepfake may fade, the broader issues it highlights are likely to persist. Klobuchar’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for public figures and ordinary citizens alike: in an era where seeing is no longer believing, vigilance, transparency, and robust legal protections are more important than ever. The battle over deepfakes is far from over, but for now, the senator from Minnesota is determined to lead the charge.
