From Fake Obama Arrest To Lounging With Netanyahu, How Trump’s Love For AI Deepfakes Is Shaping Global Politics

Donald Trump’s doing something no other US president has done: he’s made AI-generated images a regular part of his political playbook. He uses these hyperreal visuals to boost his own image, poke fun at rivals, and keep himself in the spotlight online.

In his first year back in office, Trump has flooded Truth Social and other platforms with AI-made images and videos. Some are just him hyping himself up.

Donald Trump’s love for AI Deepfakes 

Others are designed to tease or provoke his critics. It’s a new style of political messaging, fast, flashy, and tailored for people who scroll past anything that looks boring.

One of the most viral images? Trump tossing a football around in the Oval Office with Cristiano Ronaldo. Trump called Ronaldo a “GREAT GUY” who’s “really smart and cool.”

Trump’s AI Use: From Fake Obama arrest to lounging with Benjamin Netanyahu

Another widely shared post shows Trump lounging with Benjamin Netanyahu at some fancy resort, a “Trump Gaza” sign in the background. That image came right after Trump’s headline-grabbing idea to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” which, not surprisingly, set off a firestorm around the world.

He’s also posted AI pictures of himself as the pope, roaring like a lion, and leading an orchestra at the Kennedy Centre. All of it is larger than life.

Poynter summed it up this way: “Welcome to the first White House to use AI-generated images in everyday communication.”

Their report didn’t mince words. With AI, Trump can push stereotypes and false stories in a way that’s entertaining and instantly memorable, even if the details aren’t true.

Trump saves his most extreme AI creations for his political enemies. Last year, he posted a fake video showing Barack Obama getting arrested in the Oval Office and then sitting in jail in an orange jumpsuit.

He also shared an image of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a fake moustache and a sombrero, Jeffries called it racist.

Nora Benavidez from Free Press put it bluntly: “For someone like Trump, unregulated generative AI is the perfect tool to capture attention and twist reality.”

She pointed out that Obama was never arrested, but fact-checking doesn’t bother Trump or his fans. “A leader who lies without any truth testing means facts are whatever Trump says they are.”

A President Who Never Stops Campaigning

Experts say this isn’t just about images, it’s part of Trump’s bigger strategy: always be campaigning.

Joshua Tucker at NYU’s Centre for Social Media and Politics told AFP, “Sure, you’d hope the president would stay above sharing AI-generated stuff, but Trump treats the job like one long campaign.” In his view, AI images are just another tool in Trump’s nonstop push to stay in the game.

Why Does It Matter? 

Researchers are worried about where all this is heading. A recent study in Nature found that political messages delivered through human-AI interactions can seriously shift voter opinions in the US, Canada, and Poland.

And it’s not just Trump anymore. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr used AI videos for his “Make Santa Healthy Again” campaign. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has put out AI-made images in its own messaging.

Even Trump’s critics have jumped onboard. California Governor Gavin Newsom posted an AI video showing Trump and his team in handcuffs, with the caption, “It’s cuffing season.”

As AI gets better and easier to use, Trump’s presidency could end up being the moment when political influence stops being about what’s real and starts being about who can make the most eye-catching version of reality.

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