An online persona that drew millions of views for its patriotic posts and viral videos has been revealed to be something entirely different from what followers believed.
According to the New York Post, the account, known as “Emily Hart,” built a large audience by sharing content tailored to Make America Great Again (MAGA) conservative viewers — from pro-gun messaging to lifestyle clips designed to attract attention.
But according to a report by Wired, the figure behind the profile was not a real woman at all.
Instead, the content was created by a 22-year-old medical student in India who used artificial intelligence tools to generate images and craft a digital identity.
The creator, identified only as “Sam,” said he came up with the idea while struggling financially during medical school. Looking for a way to earn money online, he turned to AI software for guidance, including tools like Google Gemini.
Based on those suggestions, he developed a fictional persona designed to appeal to a specific audience.
“Every day I’d write something pro-Christian, pro-Second Amendment, pro-life, anti-abortion, anti-woke, and anti-immigration,” Sam said.
The strategy worked quickly.
Within a month, the account had attracted 10,000 followers, and its posts began pulling in millions of views.
The viral success translated into income, as the creator monetized the account through merchandise and subscription-based content.
He also expanded onto Fanvue, a platform similar to OnlyFans that allows AI-generated material, where subscribers pay for exclusive content.
“I was spending maybe 30 to 50 minutes of my day, and I was making good money for a medical student,” he said.
“In India, even in professional jobs, you can’t make this amount of money. I haven’t seen any easier way to make money online.”
Experts say the case highlights how artificial intelligence is reshaping online interactions.
“AI has made them [fake profiles] more believable, and there has perhaps been an amplification of it,” said Valerie Wirtschafter of the Brookings Institution.
Despite the success, the operation eventually unraveled.
The Instagram account tied to the persona was removed earlier this year for “fraudulent” activity, according to the report. Other associated accounts were also taken down after the scheme was exposed.
“The MAGA crowd is made up of dumb people — like, super-dumb people. And they fall for it,” Sam said.
Sam insisted he did not view his actions as deceptive.
“I don’t feel like I was scamming people,” he said.
He added that he plans to move on from the project and focus on completing his medical training.
