'This is gender affirming care': Dem opponent mocks Republican's muscled-up AI photo

A Republican supporter's birthday tribute to Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers backfired spectacularly on Tuesday after she posted an AI-altered photo that gave the former congressman a conspicuously jacked physique — and his likely Democratic opponent pounced.

Abby Ronson, a political operative at Convergence Media who claims on her X profile to be a former staffer for both Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Rep. Brian Jack (R-GA), posted the image with the caption "HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Michigan's next Senator, @MikeRogersForMI!!! LET'S GET TO WORK."

X flagged the post "Made with AI."

A side-by-side comparison with the original photo — surfaced by Joey Hannum, senior communications advisor to the Michigan Democratic Party — makes the manipulation unmistakable. Rogers' neck, shoulders, chest, and arms were all substantially bulked up in the altered version.

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic candidate for the seat, didn't miss a beat.

"This is gender affirming care," she wrote on X, reacting to Ronson's post.

The fumble lands at an awkward moment for Rogers. A recent poll showed him holding only a narrow 2-point lead over McMorrow — a statistical dead heat — with the race ranked among the most competitive in the country. Rogers is also dogged by a faith coalition controversy: two campaign faith leaders are connected to a Michigan church whose ministers were convicted of criminal sexual conduct with minors. One coalition leader resigned; another remains on his team.