North Carolina political ad uses AI to depict drag queens with candidate

Nova Jynah was among the first to recognize her likeness in the advertisement, noting specific details like a purple dress and wig she owns. She stated to The Washington Post, “I have that off-shoulder purple dress sitting in my closet right now. I still own that wig. That’s my makeup. That’s my nose!”

Jynah, along with Sister Domina Trix, Sister Helen Bedd, and Divine Holeburn, have issued cease-and-desist orders to the NRCC. The ad appears to have utilized a photo previously shared online by Jynah and incorporates Ager’s own farm, decorated with pride flags, into the fabricated scene. The advertisement features a child watching the performers while ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” plays, and a narrator states, “Jamie Ager talks like you and me on TV, but he’s dancin’ with they/them.”

The Ager campaign has condemned the ad as “100% fake, AI-generated,” claiming Balkcom is resorting to deception due to a lack of a genuine campaign. They asserted, “She can’t win on the truth, so she is using AI to lie.”

While Ager’s farm did host a dance in 2019 that was advertised to feature drag performers, the campaign maintains that the queens never attended. Jynah told WYFF that she has “never met that man in my life” and has never visited his farm. Divine Holeburn echoed this sentiment, stating she has “no affiliation” with Ager and was unaware of his farm until the ad’s creation.

Balkcom currently serves in the North Carolina House of Representatives, while Ager is running for office for the first time. They are competing for the seat in North Carolina’s 11th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.