Former President Donald Trump and his supporters have claimed extensive turnout numbers for a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, with promises of grandeur likened to political Woodstocks. A city official reported that there were about 80,000 to 100,000 people in Wildwood that day, but this count included all visitors, not just rally attendees. Nonetheless, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum exaggerated the figures, stating a crowd of 107,000 people.
In other political news, criticism arose over mainstream media's coverage of President Joe Biden's economic accomplishments. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high of 40,000, yet it received limited coverage from major outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post. The Post did highlight economic concerns with a headline mentioning "gloom" despite significant economic achievements under Biden, such as low unemployment and wage growth.
Additionally, Biden faces media biases, emphasizing his age and minor public missteps while underplaying his accomplishments. According to an NBC News poll, Biden maintains a strong lead among newspaper readers and nightly news viewers, who tend to be better informed. However, he lags among voters who do not follow news regularly.
The incident highlights the disparity in how different voter groups consume news and perceive candidates. Biden’s challenge is attracting the "uninformed" segment that bypasses traditional news sources for snippets from platforms like TikTok.
As campaigns prepare for the 2024 election, the potential for AI-generated misinformation looms large. Analysts contend that this technology could be weaponized to manipulate public perception with fake images and audio recordings, predicting significant impacts on local and national races. Both Biden and Trump campaigns are encouraged to adopt robust detection systems and prepare for AI-based misinformation attacks to safeguard the integrity of the election process.