On October 18, Trump posted an AI-generated video to his Truth Social account depicting himself wearing a crown while piloting a fighter jet emblazoned with “King Trump”. In the 19-second clip, set to Kenny Loggins’s “Danger Zone” from the Top Gun movies, Trump flies over what appears to be Times Square in New York City and dumps brown liquid—ostensibly feces—onto crowds of “No Kings” protesters below.

The video came just hours after millions of Americans participated in “No Kings” protests across all 50 states, with organizers estimating nearly 7 million people demonstrated against what they view as Trump’s authoritarian overreach and erosion of democratic norms. The protests followed Trump’s deployment of federal immigration agents and National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities over local officials’ objections.​

In the AI-generated footage, protesters can be seen being splattered with the brown substance, including liberal influencer Harry Sisson, a frequent Trump critic. The video was shared not only on Trump’s personal Truth Social account but also on official White House social media channels.

Beyond AI-generated content, the Trump administration has also been accused of deliberately misleading the public by using deceptive video editing. In early October, as Trump deployed approximately 500 National Guard troops to Illinois, the White House posted a video purportedly showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Chicago.​

The video, shared on the official White House X account, was captioned: “An incompetent Mayor. A delusional Governor. Chicago is in chaos, and the American people are paying the price. Chicago doesn’t need a political spin—it needs HELP”. The clip featured a voiceover of Trump calling Chicago a “mess” along with images of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, alongside text reading “ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS, CARTELS, AND GANGS ARE POISONING OUR KIDS”.​

However, investigations revealed that much of the footage was actually filmed in April 2025 in Florida during Operation Tidal Wave, described by the Department of Homeland Security as the “largest joint immigration operation in Florida history”. The biggest giveaway? The footage prominently featured palm trees, which are common in Florida but not in Chicago.

Governor Pritzker’s spokesperson Matt Hill responded sarcastically: “We are proud that Chicago was just ranked the best big city in the United States. We are proud of its beautiful beaches, booming businesses, and decent people. However, we cannot claim credit for many palm trees here.”

Hill accused the Trump administration of “knowingly deceiving Americans,” adding: “So it’s not surprising that the Trump team spends more time producing videos purporting images of Florida as Illinois—rather than spending any time to lower prices or protect healthcare for hardworking Americans.”

Trump’s use of AI-generated and manipulated media has accelerated dramatically since returning to the White House in January 2025. An NBC News analysis found that Trump posted dozens of pieces of synthetic media, including AI-generated images and deepfake videos, with a significant portion appearing in August and September 2025. Approximately one-third were videos, while the remainder were still images.

In early October, as the government entered a shutdown, Trump posted an AI-generated music video depicting Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought—a key architect of Project 2025—as the Grim Reaper. The video featured a parody of Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” with new lyrics: “Russ Vought is the reaper. He wields the pen, the funds, and the brain. Here comes the reaper”.​

The clip showed Vought dressed as the mythological character walking through the Capitol with portraits of Democratic congressional leaders, while Trump played cowbells alongside skeleton musicians and Vice President JD Vance on drums. Trump posted the video as he threatened to use the government shutdown to enact permanent cuts to the federal workforce at agencies he believes are staffed by people who didn’t vote for him.

On September 29, 2025, just hours after meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at the White House to discuss an impending government shutdown, Trump posted a vulgar, racist AI-generated video mocking both leaders.​

The deepfake video depicted Jeffries wearing an oversized sombrero and handlebar mustache, standing silently while a digitally manipulated Schumer spoke in a distorted voice, falsely claiming “nobody likes Democrats anymore” due to “all of our woke trans bulls***” and alleging Democrats want to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants to attract “new voters”. The clip was accompanied by mariachi music.​

Jeffries condemned the video as “disgusting” and an example of “bigotry,” stating: “It’s a vile video, and we will continue to emphasize that bigotry leads nowhere”. Schumer responded: “If you think a shutdown is a joke, this proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums.”

In July 2025, Trump posted an AI-generated video showing former President Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office. The clip opened with a montage of Democratic leaders saying “no one is above the law” before depicting FBI agents storming a meeting between Trump and Obama, forcing Obama to his knees in handcuffs while Trump smiles, all set to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”. The video concluded with Obama in an orange jumpsuit behind bars.​

The post came after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard alleged that Obama’s administration had “manufactured intelligence” about Russian interference in the 2016 election, which she referred to the Justice Department for potential prosecution—claims Democrats dismissed as politically motivated.

In late September 2025, Trump posted and then deleted an AI-generated video promoting the “medbed” conspiracy theory—a QAnon-linked belief that governments are secretly hiding advanced healing technology capable of curing all diseases, reversing aging, and regenerating limbs.​

The deepfake, styled as a Fox News segment hosted by Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, showed the president promising “every American will soon receive their own medbed card” with “guaranteed access to our new hospitals, led by the top doctors in the nation, equipped with the most advanced technology in the world”. Trump deleted the post 12 hours later without explanation, though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended his actions as “quite refreshing,” stating: “The president saw the video and posted it and then took it down. And he has the right to do that. It’s his social media.”

Trump has repeatedly shared AI-generated images portraying himself in positions of ultimate authority and power. In May 2025, after the death of Pope Francis, Trump posted an AI image of himself dressed as the pope, seated on an ornate throne in papal vestments. Trump had previously joked to reporters: “I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice”.​

The White House’s official social media accounts have posted AI-generated images of Trump as Superman (captioned “THE SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP”), as a muscular Jedi warrior brandishing a lightsaber on Star Wars Day, and wearing a king’s crown with the caption “LONG LIVE THE KING!”.

The White House has acknowledged the strategy’s effectiveness, noting that official administration social media channels have gained over 16 million followers across platforms since Inauguration Day. A White House official told NBC News in July: “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes”.​

However, experts warn of serious consequences. Michelle Amazeen, an associate professor of mass communication at Boston University who studies misinformation, told NBC News: “He’s a master manipulator going way back. What he’s accomplishing is dominating social media, television, and other news outlets, creating the illusion that this is the new reality”.​

Survey data shows public concern about AI-generated content in politics: 84% of respondents in a 2025 poll believed such content should be clearly labeled, and 81% felt social media platforms should be mandated to remove unauthorized deepfakes.​

Critics argue that Trump’s use of AI-generated imagery—particularly content depicting himself as religious figures, monarchs, and superheroes—echoes authoritarian propaganda tactics. 

Emotional Shock and Outrage

By depicting himself as a bomber releasing excrement on protesters, Trump taps into visceral disgust and outrage. The graphic imagery is tailored to:

• Evoke strong negative emotions toward “No Kings” protesters, framing them as deserving of degradation.​
• Dominate public attention, leveraging shock value to ensure widespread sharing and media coverage.

Demonization and Dehumanization

Portraying protesters as targets of filth and violence reduces them to less-than-human status:

• Dehumanization encourages viewers to view dissenters as contemptible or dangerous, justifying harsh treatment.​
• Coupling protesters with brown sludge visually equates them with waste, reinforcing hostile attitudes.

Symbolic Authority and Messianic Imagery

Trump’s self-depictions as pope, king, Superman, and Jedi serve to:

• Convey divine or heroic legitimacy, suggesting an almost ordained right to rule and punish.​
• Create a cult of personality, positioning Trump above ordinary politics and critics alike.

Bandwagon and Popularity Cues

Flooding Truth Social and official White House channels with AI content implies mass support:

• Posting on multiple platforms blurs personal and official messaging, signaling broad institutional approval.​
• Frequent AI memes create a perception of ubiquity, encouraging viewers to join the prevailing trend.

Misinformation through False Context

Using Florida footage to paint Chicago as chaotic illustrates classic context manipulation:

• Contextual deception—showing palm trees to represent Chicago riots—misleads viewers into believing false premises.​
• Recycling old or unrelated video clips undermines trust in legitimate news sources.

Repetition and Meme Warfare

Constant circulation of similar AI-generated insults and exaggerations amplifies propaganda’s reach:

• Repetition embeds messages into public consciousness, making outrageous claims feel familiar and credible.
• Memes and short videos are ideal for rapid sharing, ensuring sustained visibility across networks.

Appeal to Fear and Insecurity

The “chaos in Chicago” narrative and bombings of protesters stoke fear of social breakdown:

• Framing dissent as violent or un-American justifies authoritarian responses.
• Fear appeals mobilize core supporters by portraying Trump as the only bulwark against disorder.

Targeted Ridicule and Mockery

Deepfakes mocking Schumer, Jeffries, Obama, and other opponents serve to:

• Undermine credibility by associating them with incompetence, racism, or criminality.​
• Distract from policy debates, reducing serious discourse to trivial mockery.

Conflation of Personal and Official Channels

Sharing AI videos on both Trump’s personal and White House accounts blurs fact and fiction:

• Institutional endorsement of propaganda content elevates it from personal trolling to government messaging.​
• Makes accountability ambiguous, complicating fact-checking and regulatory responses.

Cultivation of In-Group vs. Out-Group Narratives

AI content consistently frames political opponents and protesters as enemies of the nation:

• Reinforces a binary worldview—“us” (patriots/Trump supporters) versus “them” (protesters, Democrats).
• Strengthens in-group cohesion by vilifying the out-group as immoral or subversive.