Trump shares AI-generated image falsely depicting Robert De Niro as MAGA supporter
President Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social falsely depicting actor Robert De Niro as a MAGA supporter, with the caption 'Even this jerk is beginning to get it.' AI-detection tools confirmed the image was synthesized using OpenAI's GPT-4o model, misrepresenting De Niro's well-documented criticism of Trump.
What happened
President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting actor Robert De Niro holding a shirt reading 'TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT,' with the caption 'Even this jerk is beginning to get it!' The image was one of dozens shared by Trump on Truth Social on Sunday.
Independent analysts and AI-detection tools verified the image as AI-generated. The Hive Moderation tool rated it as 99.5 percent likely to be AI-generated, specifically identifying OpenAI's GPT-4o model. The OpenAI Verify tool detected an embedded SynthID watermark confirming it was synthesized using OpenAI's digital generation tools.
Reported impact
De Niro, a long-standing and vocal critic of Trump for over a decade, has not issued a statement about the specific image. The falsification misrepresents De Niro's publicly documented opposition to Trump, whom he has called 'evil,' a 'tyrant,' and said will 'destroy' America.
Index analysis
The incident demonstrates use of deepfake imagery to misrepresent a public figure's political position. The image was deliberately crafted to suggest that a known Trump critic had reversed his stance, contradicting years of documented public statements.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.