President Donald Trump sparked outrage after sharing an AI-generated video depicting himself wearing a crown and flying a fighter jet marked ‘King Trump.’
In the AI-generated video, he can be seen releasing brown sludge over demonstrators participating in the nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests.
DONALD TRUMP’S AI VIDEO
The satirical clip, set to the soundtrack of Danger Zone, circulated widely on Truth Social over the weekend.
It drew global criticism for its tone during mass demonstrations defending democracy, according to Sky News.
The AI video shows Donald Trump saluting from a jet cockpit. He flies over what appears to be New York’s Times Square. He then dumps the dark liquid onto crowds of ‘No Kings’ protesters.
Donald Trump captioned the clip, “Just cleaning up the mess!”. This phrase quickly trended online and split opinion between supporters and critics.
THE WHITE HOUSE JOINS IN
Many viewed the video as an insult to the millions of Americans who marched across all 50 states calling for limits to Trump’s presidential powers.
Adding to the controversy, the White House’s official social media page posted an AI image of Trump and Vice President JD Vance wearing golden crowns.
The image was then captioned, “Have a good night, everyone,” according to the New York Times.
BACKLASH AGAINST DONALD TRUMP VIDEO
This post intensified the backlash. Political analysts pointed out how the imagery reinforced fears that Donald Trump’s administration has embraced monarchic symbolism during a period of alleged overreach.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump dismissed the protests as “a joke” and denied claims of behaving like a monarch.
He asserts, “I’m not a king at all.” He accused “radical left groups” of funding the marches and downplayed their size and significance.
TRUST IN LEADERSHIP
Observers in South Africa have found parallels between the American unrest and their country’s history of civic resistance.
University experts suggest that Trump’s digital provocations show how political communication, amplified by AI, can fuel divisions and test public trust in leadership.
The ‘No Kings’ controversy, while centred in the United States, resonates globally.
It underlines the struggle to balance authority and accountability in modern democracies, from Washington to Johannesburg
