A photo shared on Facebook appears to show former President Donald Trump walking through a flooded street wearing a life jacket.

Verdict: False

This image was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI). There is no evidence to suggest Trump partook in the action depicted in the photo.

Fact Check: 

The death toll from Hurricane Helene has increased to over 200 confirmed fatalities, with half of those confirmed deaths in North Carolina following historic flooding from the storm, according to NBC News. Former President Donald Trump made a stop in Valdosta, Georgia, recently while on the campaign trail to survey the damage done by the hurricane.

A post being spread on Facebook purports to show Trump wading through a flooded street, water up to his kneecaps, along with an unnamed person wearing a yellow hat. The former president is seen wearing what looks to be a pair of blue jeans and a blue shirt, with both men wearing red life jackets. The post does not list a location or date where this picture was supposedly taken.

There is no evidence that this photo is real. AI detection website TrueMedia has found substantial evidence that this is an AI generated image, concluding that this image was manipulated with 99% confidence. In addition, it can be seen that the text on the lifejackets and the hat are not legible, while one of the hands from the unidentified man appears to have only four fingers.

No information has been found to suggest that Valdosta, Georgia, flooded to the extent shown in the picture, and an image search turns up nothing to confirm that it did. Trump has also not visited any other damaged areas within the last week.

The former president is approaching the finish line in his 2024 campaign, and it is unknown whether he will make any more stops in affected areas. As of this time, there is no evidence that he waded through any deep flooding to survey any damage anywhere. This story was first reported by Lead Stories.