Spat between Fleming, Letlow erupts over AI video mention of congresswoman’s late husband - NOLA.com

U.S. Representative Julia Letlow publicly condemned Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming after he shared an AI-generated video on social media depicting a digital likeness of her. The video, which Fleming described as a parody he did not create, featured an AI-synthesized version of Letlow discussing her late husband, Luke Letlow, and various policy initiatives.

What happened

On June 13, 2024, John Fleming shared a video on social media featuring an AI-created version of Julia Letlow. The digital puppet was depicted lauding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and expressing support for carbon capture and sequestration. Crucially, the AI version of Letlow referenced her late husband, stating, "I was aiming to become a University of Louisiana president when my poor husband died, and I was appointed to his congressional seat." Luke Letlow, a congressman-elect, died of COVID-19 in December 2020, and Julia Letlow was subsequently elected to fill his vacant seat in 2021.

Following the release, Letlow posted her own video on June 14, calling the act "disgraceful and indefensible" and asserting that her family should be off-limits in political discourse. The incident drew significant condemnation from other political figures, including Governor Jeff Landry and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who criticized the use of a deceased spouse's legacy for political gain. Despite the backlash, Fleming stated he would only consider removing the post if the Letlow campaign committed to taking down their own AI videos of him. The controversy occurred during the head-to-head U.S. Senate primary between the two Republicans, with early voting underway and the primary runoff scheduled for June 27.