Trump's repeated sharing of artificial intelligence-created falsehoods: An examination of reasons behind his actions
In the realm of U.S. politics, the significance of AI-generated content, particularly during the Trump Administration, cannot be overstated. The Administration framed AI governance and innovation as a strategic national priority, with political and ideological dimensions.
In July 2025, the Trump Administration unveiled America's AI Action Plan, a blueprint aimed at securing global dominance in AI to spearhead an industrial and information revolution. The plan emphasised the importance of advancing AI innovation by largely removing regulatory barriers, with a strong focus on protecting AI innovation from what they deemed “burdensome regulations” and opposing federal efforts seen as promoting ideological bias or social engineering through AI.
This framing of AI had direct political implications. It signalled a move to control AI-generated content to align with a particular ideological perspective—ostensibly to ensure AI outputs were free from “ideological bias” and social engineering agendas, which can be interpreted as a safeguard against AI-generated misinformation or content unfavourable to Trump and his political base.
Donald Trump’s impact in this context is tied to his administration’s approach to AI as a domain of strategic competition that includes ideological control of content to influence public discourse and political narratives. The Trump plan prioritised deregulatory policies to accelerate AI adoption and innovation, potentially fostering AI tools that could shape political messaging, social media content, and information ecosystems in ways aligned with Trump’s vision of “truth” and American leadership.
The politicization of AI governance, the framing of AI-generated content as a tool for political influence and information control, and the AI Action Plan’s focus on opening AI innovation while regulating content control, are key aspects that highlight AI’s political significance under Trump. These strategic initiatives aimed to ensure AI serves the Administration's political and nationalistic objectives rather than neutral or adversarial information dynamics.
The White House made AI-generated images on social media a core element of its audience engagement strategy. Trump's use of AI-generated content extended to sharing fabricated images, such as a video depicting the arrest of former President Barack Obama, and AI-generated depictions of Kamala Harris as a Soviet-style "communist."
Reneé DiResta, a disinformation expert, commented that the ability to plausibly cast doubt on real content due to manipulated media is an unintended consequence of generating unreality. Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise, explained that Trump and his supporters share AI-generated content to contribute to the "meme-ification" of politics.
The use of fake content by Trump contributes to a socio-political phenomenon known as the "liar's dividend." Trump's vision of the world, such as Gaza as an ethnically cleansed luxury resort, is sometimes reflected in the AI-generated content he and his supporters post.
In summary, AI-generated content's political significance under Trump ties to its role as both a transformative technological frontier and a contested domain of ideological control, with strategic initiatives designed to ensure AI serves the Administration's political and nationalistic objectives rather than neutral or adversarial information dynamics.
- The Trump Administration's AI Action Plan, revealed in July 2025, prioritized securing global dominance in AI by reducing regulatory barriers, focusing on protecting AI innovation from perceived 'burdensome regulations' and resisting federal efforts seen as promoting ideological bias or social engineering.
- The politicization of AI became a key feature during the Trump Administration, with AI-generated content framed as a tool for political influence and information control, potentially shaping political messaging, social media content, and information ecosystems.
- The White House adopted AI-generated images on social media as a core element of its audience engagement strategy, with Trump and his supporters sharing fabricated images and AI-generated depictions to contribute to the 'meme-ification' of politics.
- The politicized use of AI-generated content by Trump has contributed to a socio-political phenomenon known as the "liar's dividend," in which false information or manipulated media, such as depicting Gaza as an ethnically cleansed luxury resort, and disseminated by Trump and his supporters, can be interpreted as efforts to shape the public's perception of reality.
- In the realm of international politics and media, the Trump Administration's approach to AI as a domain of strategic competition aimed to ensure AI serves the Administration's political and nationalistic objectives rather than neutral or adversarial information dynamics.
- The politicized manipulation of AI-generated content also impacted human rights and general-news discourse, as Trump shared AI-generated content criticized by DiResta as having the potential to plausibly cast doubt on real content due to manipulation.
- The role of AI-generated content in shaping the cultural landscape, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, as well as in entertainment and technology, needs further exploration, as political leaders and media influencers increasingly turning to AI innovations for information and content production.
