'A racist caricature': Democrats blast Republican AI deep fake attack ad on Ricardo Valencia in…
In 2026, the Santa Barbara County Republican Party released an AI-generated attack ad depicting Ricardo Valencia as a clown, drawing criticism and accusations of racism.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- Ricardo Valencia
In May 2026, a political ad targeting Ricardo Valencia, a candidate for Santa Barbara County Fifth District supervisor, sparked controversy after it depicted him as a clown. The ad, paid for by the county Republican Party, was quickly condemned as racist by area Democrats.
What happened
The AI-generated ad was texted to voters. It portrayed Valencia in clown makeup and an oversized bow tie, walking along a street with a burning structure in the background. A narrator with a Latino accent spoke critically of Valencia, referencing issues such as unsafe streets and lack of accountability. The ad also showed Valencia wearing a wig and a red clown nose, with backgrounds shifting to images of food lines and homeless encampments. The ad was labeled as AI-generated or altered.