Trump embraces outlandish AI-generated portraits as White House communication strategy

President Donald Trump’s administration has embraced AI-generated imagery as a core communication strategy, with Trump and his team regularly posting artificial portraits depicting him in fantastical scenarios—from a Star Wars Jedi to the Pope. This marks a significant shift in presidential communication, leveraging AI’s viral potential to capture attention and drive engagement across social media platforms, with the administration’s official accounts gaining over 16 million new followers since Inauguration Day.

What you should know: Trump’s AI portraits consistently portray him in heroic or powerful roles, ranging from religious figures to fictional characters.

• The images include Trump as Pope Francis, a Jedi warrior with a patriot-red lightsaber, and transforming Gaza into a luxury resort with a golden effigy of himself.
• These posts appear across Trump’s personal accounts and official White House social media channels, blending meme culture with presidential communications.
• The White House posted in July: “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes,” acknowledging their unconventional approach.

The big picture: Trump’s use of AI imagery represents the evolution of political communication in the digital age, where artificial content serves as both entertainment and political messaging.

• Political historian Evan Cornog notes that unlike past presidents who “had to actually have fought in a war to run as a war hero,” modern leaders can simply generate images of themselves in any scenario.
• The images tap into what AI expert Henry Ajder calls people’s “fantasy lives,” allowing politicians to depict subjective versions of reality that resonate with supporters’ perceptions.

Why this matters: The strategy demonstrates how AI technology has democratized image creation, giving political figures unprecedented control over their visual narrative.

• The approach builds on Trump’s history of using social media unconventionally, with Martha Joynt Kumar of the White House Transition Project noting: “In his first administration, he used Twitter in a way no president had. What they do in this administration is taking it further.”
• The images are designed for viral engagement, generating reactions across the political spectrum and maintaining Trump’s presence in the attention economy.

What they’re saying: Trump acknowledges the dual nature of AI-generated content and its entertainment value.

• “It works both ways,” Trump said at a news conference. “If something happens that’s really bad, maybe I’ll have to just blame AI.”
• When asked whether AI-generated posts diminish the substance of official White House accounts, Trump responded: “It’s fine. Have to have a little fun, don’t you?”

Public reaction: The AI portraits generate polarized responses, from criticism about presidential decorum to celebration of the unconventional approach.

• Critics lament what they see as the decline of presidential dignity, with one commenter stating: “I never thought I’d see the day when the White House is just a joke. This is so embarrassing.”
• Supporters enjoy the provocative nature, with one noting: “Watching the left explode over this has been a treat.”
• Even some Trump voters express skepticism, with one X user commenting: “I voted for you, but this is weird and creepy. More mass deportations and less of whatever this is.”