Fact check: Sasha Obama's 2023 paparazzi photo digitally altered to show her ‘kissing girlfriend’

Barack Obama's recent criticism of the Donald Trump administration while campaigning for Democrat candidates has led to the former president's family coming under attack from the far-right on social media.Sasha Obama celebrating her 23rd birthday with mother Michelle Obama. (instagram/michelleobama)MAGA social media has been especially aggressive towards the Obama family, targeting them with fabricated photos. First, it was former First Lady Michelle Obama; now it's the President's younger daughter, Sasha Obama.The criticism comes especially after Barack Obama appeared alongside Michigan's Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a rally in Detroit Saturday. Obama described Trump's presidency as “chaos, cruelty, and corruption.” Earlier, while campaigning in Ohio, Obama called Trump's second term so far "two years of incompetence".Also read: Abdul El-Sayed could be the first Muslim US Senator if the Michigan Democrat wins in the hotly contested midtermsViral Sasha Obama Photo Fact CheckThe Obama family was targeted by far-right social media with several fabricated claims. First, a fabricated photo of Michelle Obama went viral, which showed her with a bulging belly. It was shared by far-right accounts with the false claim that the former First Lady is pregnant.Hours after, a photo of Sasha Obama went viral which showed the 25-year-old allegedly kissing another woman on the streets.Ht.com can confirm that the photo is fabricated. It has been digitally altered from a set of paparazzi photos of Sasha Obama and her friends in New York's West Village that were published exclusively by British tabloid The Daily Mail in December 2023.In the photo, Sasha and her friend can be seen walking side-by-side in New York's West Village, as per the Daily Mail report. The report noted that they were living in a restaurant in West Village.The same photo was digitally altered in the aftermath of Obama's appearance at a campaign rally to show 25-year-old Sasha Obama purportedly kissing the other person.Here's the viral photo:Notably, Shasha Obama has been dating commercial director and writer Clifton Powell Jr. since August 2021.Also read: Trump faces voter backlash as US prices rise 5.4% and gas prices climbObama's Appearance With El-Sayed Critical To Michigan Senate RaceObama's rally with Abdul-El Sayed in Detroit on Saturday could prove critical in determining Michigan's Senate race in the November midterm elections. According to an NBC News analysis, a significant block of Black votes in Detroit could ultimately decide the race. The analysis puts Obama's appearance alongside El-Sayed as an effort to shore up support in the Black community in Michigan.“We’re clear about the choice in this election,” Obama said. Abdul is fighting for change, real change, change that will bring an end to this war. Change that will get money out of politics and put money in your pocket. Change that will finish the job we started with the Affordable Care Act and guarantee quality, affordable healthcare to every single American.”“You hear people say this is somehow radical. “What is radical about that?”