Several prominent Republican politicians were deceived by an AI-generated image over the weekend that falsely depicted a US warplane crew member being rescued by military special forces in Iran. The fabricated image, showing an airman surrounded by smiling military personnel, has been shared more than 21,000 times on X.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and New York Representative Mike Lawler were among those who "liked" the fake photograph on social media. The supposed rescued airman has not been publicly identified, and the incident has prompted calls for improved media literacy education.

Separately, the online betting platform Polymarket faced sharp criticism for accepting wagers on when US warplane crew members shot down by Iranian forces would be rescued. Massachusetts Democratic Representative Seth Moulton, a decorated Marine veteran who served in Iraq, denounced the betting market as "disgusting" in a post on X.

Following the criticism from Moulton, who earned two Bronze Star medals during his military service from 2003 to 2008, Polymarket ceased accepting bets on the fate of the downed F-15 jet pilots. The platform stated it would investigate how the controversial betting market came to exist.

The incidents highlight growing concerns about the spread of AI-generated misinformation and the ethics of betting on sensitive military situations involving American service members.