Image Source: Agencies

July 21, 2025: After posting an AI-generated video on Truth Social that erroneously depicts Barack Obama being arrested by FBI agents in the Oval Office, former President Donald Trump has sparked widespread outrage. The video opens with real footage of Obama stating, "especially the President is above the law," followed by several U.S. political figures asserting, "no one is above the law." It then shifts to an AI-generated scene of Obama being handcuffed in the White House by two agents while Trump watches and smiles. The video concludes with a fabricated image of Obama in a prison cell wearing an orange jumpsuit.

The lack of a disclaimer stating that the video was fictitious or generated by AI was a major reason why critics branded it "deeply irresponsible." Many warned that it was a risky use of artificial intelligence and disinformation in politics. The video was released following polarizing remarks made by U.S. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, who recently made a 114-page declassified intelligence report available to the public. Former Obama administration officials, according to Gabbard, allegedly manipulated intelligence following the 2016 election to promote the now-debunked narrative that Trump and Russia colluded in order to undermine Trump's presidency.

In a post on X, Gabbard called the actions a “treasonous conspiracy,” accusing officials of weaponising US intelligence agencies in what she described as a "years-long coup" against Trump. She demanded that those responsible be tried. However, assessments from the latter half of 2016 that claim Russia "did not impact the outcome of the US election" via cyber interference are also included in the ODNI report. Partisan debates regarding the origins and course of the Russia investigation have resurfaced as a result of the findings.

Concerns regarding the political misuse of artificial intelligence have grown since Trump's decision to publish the AI video without providing any clarification. One media ethics expert stated, "This is not just satire; it’s calculated disinformation that undermines democratic trust." Others warned that deepfake content could be a powerful weapon in the elections of 2024 and 2028.