Trump shares AI video of presidential library, experts warn of ‘spin’ and blurred reality
Record ID:
2372133
Trump shares AI video of presidential library, experts warn of ‘spin’ and blurred reality
- Title: Trump shares AI video of presidential library, experts warn of ‘spin’ and blurred reality
- Date: 31st March 2026
- Summary: LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES (MARCH 31, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, BENJAMIN HUFBAUER, SAYING: “A presidential library is basically a monument to that president that has an archive of historical documents, as well as a museum to celebrate their life, as well as these days, often a center that promotes their ag
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: AI Benjamin Hufbauer Miami Ramesh Srinivasan Trump Presidential Library Truth Social UCLA University of Louisville presidential library video rendering
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: US
- Topics: North America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00D899331032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The developers working on President Donald Trump's library sketched out a vision for a towering Miami building with room to display multiple planes, and replicas of prominent parts of the White House.
The AI-generated video, which Trump posted on social media Monday (March 30) night, displays a tower with a gold entryway and escalator, an illuminated American flag and the word "TRUMP" emblazoned near its top.
Donations are being collected for the project, the White House said on Tuesday (March 31).
"This landmark on the water in Miami, Florida will stand as a lasting testament to an amazing man, an amazing developer, and the greatest President our Nation has ever known," Trump's son Eric Trump said in an X post.
It comes as the Republican president is also pursuing an array of plans that would change the appearance of Washington - including adding a $400 million ballroom to the White House, a 250-foot-tall (76-meter-tall) triumphal arch and rebuilding the Kennedy Center performing arts complex.
“Presidents do use these (presidential libraries) to try to reshape their image,” said Benjamin Hufbauer, a professor at University of Louisville. “(Jimmy) Carter is a good example. When he left office, he was not very popular. But after that, through the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, he did all these philanthropic works across the world, won the Nobel Peace Prize. And now Carter is a very respected figure.”
“All presidential libraries - they're basically temples of spin. They're all presenting the positive views of the president that sometimes changes over time,” Hufbauer added.
Reuters confirmed that various shots of the video were generated by using Google’s AI models. The video was analyzed with Google's SynthID, an AI detection tool, which concluded the footage was created using one of the tech company's generative AI models. The tool works by detecting a hidden watermark contained in AI-generated or AI-modified images created by Google models and it detected those watermarks in parts of the video.
AI-generated imagery is playing a growing role in U.S. politics, with candidates contesting the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the next two years increasingly releasing "deepfake" videos that present misleading images of their rivals. Republicans appear to be utilizing the technology more frequently than Democrats, following the lead of Trump's White House, which has released scores of AI-generated videos and gaming-inspired memes on social media that do everything from disparaging protesters to hyping up the Iran war.
“I think it's very telling when the president is doubling down on these technologies again, which can skew our sense of reality and make us not know what is or is not real,” said Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor at UCLA and host of “The Utopias” podcast. “And when the president himself is intentionally posting this kind of content, it just sends a very strong message, which is that distrust is the new normal.”
No details were available on any specific architectural plan for the library, but the video depicted some classic Trump decorative touches including a giant gold entrance, a multi-level lobby with what appears to be an Air Force One plane, a fighter jet and a helicopter and a larger-than-life golden statue of Trump holding up his fist in a glittering, defiant salute.
Presidential libraries have been used to preserve documents, records and other historical materials of U.S. presidents after they leave office. They are part of a system administered by the National Archives and sometimes feature museum exhibitions related to the president.
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