In the video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), dark water can be seen slowly flowing into a tent outfitted with large metal cages filled with beds. The 26-second clip quickly went viral, racking up more than 9.7 million views, 10,000 retweets, 57,000 likes, and 7,600 comments.
In response to skeptics who questioned the legitimacy of the video, Grok, Elon Musk's controversial AI chatbot, insisted the clip was authentic, even attributing it to Spectrum News 13 reporter Jason Delgado — and citing reporting from outlets like (ahem) yours truly.
"It shows actual flooding in the tent-like structures," Grok replied to one user. "No alterations or AI generation detected; confirmed by Newsweek, Miami New Times, and other outlets. Minor water intrusion was addressed overnight per officials."
But while Alligator Alcatraz did, in fact, flood (see: "Cool, Alligator Alcatraz is Already Flooding"), it's not clear whether it ever did so in the dramatic, AI-slop sort of way the video suggests.Alligator Alcatraz got flooded. pic.twitter.com/82z38E5TUi
— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) July 3, 2025
In other words, the footage appears to be bogus.
On July 4, Delgado responded to Grok and attempted to set the record straight, noting that he didn't shoot the video being attributed to him and suggesting the chatbot may have confused it with another clip he filmed of waters seeping into the facility during its grand opening.
"The video is suspect, it's not mine, and I'd appreciate it if you'd set the record straight," Delgado replied to Grok.
The fishy video was posted just days after President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and their Republican allies officially unveiled the makeshift tent city at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a little-used airstrip located in the middle of the Everglades. Florida's emergency management department quickly built the site, which officials claim will hold more than 3,000 people, in just days.
As Trump's allies gathered at the controversial facility on the afternoon of July 1, videos Delgado posted on X showed rain seeping through the edges of one massive white tent, its roofs and walls trembling as the summer storm rolled in.A good lil storm passed over us here at 'Alligator Alcatraz.’
— Jason Delgado (@JasonDelgadoX) July 1, 2025
Here's what it looks & sounds like inside one of these tents.
The state says the sites here are rated to withstand a category two hurricane (~120mph winds). pic.twitter.com/6SyY1hAvkK
The water could be seen spreading under poles hoisting the Florida and U.S. flags and reaching electrical cables on the ground.
Earlier in the day, Guthrie told reporters that the state has a hurricane plan for the facility, which is prone to deep flooding even outside of hurricane season, according to a recent appraisal of the Miami-Dade County-owned site. The site is reportedly more than 96 percent wetlands.
So, while the viral video may have been phony, the scene depicted isn't all that far-fetched.
