The Daily Beast recently found itself embroiled in a controversial saga involving Real America’s Voice, a far-right news network, and former President Donald Trump. The incident began when Real America’s Voice aired an interview with a voice claiming to be that of the ex-president. Subsequently, they enthusiastically shared multiple clips of this interview on their social media accounts.
However, doubts quickly surfaced on social media regarding the authenticity of the voice. Some listeners speculated that they might be conversing with an artificial intelligence system due to the intermittent choppiness in the voice. While the voice bore a resemblance to Trump’s distinctive tone, it wasn’t a perfect match.
Zachary Petrizzo, a reporter for The Daily Beast, was quick to investigate the matter. He reported that Robert Sigg, the owner of Real America’s Voice, had expressed his intention to launch an internal investigation to determine whether the network had fallen victim to a Trump impersonator or even a Trump AI. Petrizzo tweeted Sigg’s statement, where he seemed to cast doubt on the authenticity of the interview, humorously suggesting, “‘Sounds like ChatGOP to me.'”
However, the plot took a twist when The Daily Beast added an editor’s note to their story. This note clarified that the quotes attributed to Robert Sigg were potentially inaccurate. A spokesperson for Real America’s Voice had denied that the voice behind the interview was Sigg’s and asserted that the associated phone number was not his current one.
“Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove quotes attributed to the owner of Real America’s Voice, Robert Sigg, saying he is investigating whether the call was a prank and criticizing network staffers. A Daily Beast reporter had a conversation by text with a person who identified themselves as Sigg, on a number public records show was once associated with Sigg—but a spokesperson for Real America’s Voice said that it was not Sigg and is not his current number.”
Throughout this developing story, John Solomon, the host of the interview, remained steadfast in his belief that the voice was indeed that of President Trump. He adamantly refuted any claims of artificial intelligence involvement, stating that it was “definitely President Trump without any doubt.”
As the controversy continued to unfold, former President Trump himself remained silent on the matter. Despite the airing of a 19-second clip from his Truth Social account, there was no immediate response from his campaign.
