In an increasingly blurred landscape where technology meets political discourse, former President Donald Trump has once again leaned into the controversial world of artificial intelligence to settle scores with his detractors. In a late-night post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump shared a 90-second video that blends promotional footage of his administration’s achievements and a new Air Force One jet with a surreal, AI-generated parody. In this clip, the former president is depicted as a doctor in a white lab coat, posing a satirical question to his audience: “Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with TDS?” By reclaiming the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome”—a label he frequently employs to categorize his most vocal institutional critics—he signaled a shift toward using high-tech mimicry as a primary weapon in his ongoing culture war.
The video’s narrative structure is as bizarre as it is pointed, serving as a cinematic representation of the former president’s frustration with Hollywood and media figures who have been his long-standing opponents. After introducing himself as a medical professional offering a “treatment plan” for those suffering from his perceived political obsession, the video transitions into a highlight reel of what he presents as a group therapy session for his critics. Using deepfake technology, the clip features artificial portrayals of celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Robert De Niro, Julia Roberts, Edward Norton, and John Leguizamo. These digital puppets are made to deliver mock endorsements and pseudo-apologies, effectively silencing their real-world critiques through a distorted, synthetic mirror that forces them to repeat his rhetoric.
The sequence concludes with the deepfake version of Trump returning to the screen to offer a final bit of tongue-in-cheek advice: turn off the “fake news” and enjoy a Diet Coke instead. While presented as humor by the former president, the video raises uncomfortable questions about the erosion of objective reality in modern politics. By weaponizing the voices and likenesses of famous individuals, Trump is participating in a growing trend where deepfakes are used not just for satire, but as tools to delegitimize the voices of those who hold opposing viewpoints. The ability to make a political opponent appear to say things they never uttered is a jarring development, proving that AI is quickly moving from a creative curiosity to a potent instrument of political brand management.
This incident is far from an isolated event; it is merely the latest chapter in a broader, recurring pattern of digital activity that has become a staple of Trump’s post-presidency communications. Over the past several months, he has consistently turned to generative AI to shape public perception, often ignoring the blowback that inevitably follows. One of the more significant controversies occurred back in April, when he posted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ during a tense public fallout with religious and political figures. That post sparked a firestorm of outrage, even leading some members of his own party to voice disapproval. Yet, rather than backing away from the medium, he doubled down, following up with further imagery designed to link his persona with religious iconography, showcasing a disregard for the traditional boundaries that usually govern political messaging.
The scope of these digital distortions is vast, ranging from the fantastical to the bizarrely revisionist. In other instances, Trump has utilized AI to depict his cabinet members swimming in a purified Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, using the imagery to suggest that his administration restored a landmark he claimed had been turned into a “sewer” under the influence of Democratic predecessors. He has also shared doctored caricatures featuring Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, designed to imply underhanded political motives. These posts suggest a strategic intent: to provide his base with visual evidence that validates their grievances, even when that evidence is entirely manufactured by a computer program. For many of his followers, these visuals act as a shorthand for his narratives, turning complex political battles into bite-sized, shareable memes.
As we look toward the future of political campaigning, this reliance on synthetic media signals a profound shift in how candidates interact with the public. When political leaders treat digital reality as a fluid canvas that can be rearranged to mock, distort, and belittle their opposition, it complicates the public’s ability to discern truth from propaganda. Trump’s use of deepfakes represents a new frontier where technology and populism converge to bypass traditional media vetting. While the former president may view these videos as harmless jabs or effective marketing to his base, they underscore a challenging reality: in a world where anyone can be made to say anything, the concept of a shared set of facts may become the first casualty of the digital age.