AI-crafted remake of 1964 ‘daisy’ ad targets Texas trans-rights opponent

In a new political advertisement, a Texas super-PAC supporting Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign has resurrected the infamous 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson “daisy” ad using generative AI. The revised clip shows the original three-year-old girl lying on an operating table beside an AI-created image of Representative James Talarico, while a voice-over claims the “trans industry” preys on confused children with irreversible medical interventions.

The ad is part of a series that also includes an AI-generated video of Talarico dancing in a dress and singing a parody song about hormone treatment. Developed by the American Principles Project, the group’s president Terry Schilling has explained that targeting children is intentional because public agreement is highest on that issue. Paxton has built his political brand on opposing transgender youth care, even labeling Talarico’s advocacy as “weird” after his runoff victory.

Historical attempts to remix the original “daisy” footage, such as Bob Dole’s 1996 drug-use version and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 outreach to the original actress, have not succeeded, suggesting the new AI approach may also fall short. Nonetheless, the ad aims to exploit parental fear to sway voters toward Paxton in the upcoming race.