In March 2026, the National Republican Senatorial Committee released an attack ad featuring an AI-generated deepfake of Texas Senate candidate James Talarico - a synthetic version of him appearing to endorse statements he never made. With a tiny 'AI generated' disclaimer barely visible in the corner, the ad exploited legal loopholes that leave voters vulnerable. This episode investigates how political deepfakes work, why they're proliferating in the 2026 midterms, and what you can do to protect yourself from synthetic political manipulation.