Deepfake of Washington County, Oregon, Candidate Goes Viral Nationwide

A manipulated 26-second video of Nafisa Fai, a candidate for chair of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, circulated widely on X after an account called “End Wokeness” posted a clip that made it look like she spoke in front of an upside-down U.S. flag while using Somali. The post and its comments urged deportation, and the clip was amplified by high-profile right-wing figures and outlets, fueling vitriolic responses and prompting an in-person confrontation at a candidates forum. The video surfaced the same day as the forum and arrived against a backdrop of intense local scrutiny in a race that already saw public drama last month when the former chair flipped her middle finger at Fai and then resigned.

Eyewitnesses and original footage undermine the viral presentation: Fai did speak at a Minnesota event but attendees say the flag was displayed right side up, and event video provided by an attendee shows a patriotic, pro-American message about upward mobility. Investigators and witnesses say the viral X clip appears selectively edited to splice English phrases into her remarks. Fai, a 49-year-old Somali American from Aloha running against Pam Treece to oversee the county’s $2 billion budget, says the attacks are painful and highlights how quickly doctored media can be weaponized against minority candidates amid broader misinformation targeting Somali Americans.