--- title: "Donald Trump Shares Slightly Misfigured AI-Generated Image of Himself Praying" description: "Trump decided to take to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday to post an almost certainly AI-generated image of himself kneeling to pray." date: "2023-03-24" modified: "2023-03-24" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/donald-trump-ai-generated-image-praying-truth-social" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "2024 election" - "artificial intelligence" - "donald trump" - "the digest" --- # Donald Trump Shares Slightly Misfigured AI-Generated Image of Himself Praying ![Trump decided to take to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday to post an almost certainly AI-generated image of himself kneeling to pray.]() ## Livin' on a Prayer As America's upcoming election cycle continues to take shape, one thing's for sure: fans of former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump love themselves some image generators, and they're not afraid to use 'em. Trump, in fact, isn't afraid to hit the share button on AI-generated fan art of him*self*, either. Amid the Trump-stirred frenzy surrounding the former president's allegedly-imminent arrest, number 45 himself decided yesterday morning to take to his social media platform, Truth Social, to [post]() a fairly lifelike — but almost certainly AI-generated — image of himself taking a knee beneath a ray of heavenly light to pray, presumably for himself to not be arrested. The fake image, [as *Forbes* reports](), has been circulating on pro-Trump social media since at least [the weekend](), when similarly AI-generated images [depicting Trump being arrested]() also began circulating in the same digital circles. Naturally. https://twitter.com/paleofuture/status/1638969629409431552 ## The Giveaways While the rendering in question is pretty lifelike, there are a few dead giveaways that it's very likely AI-made. Zoom in on the hands, and you'll notice that some of the fingers are curiously mushed together, with the former prez's right pinky looking especially, uh, nonexistent. Trump's right knee is also directly behind his back knee, and not off to the side. (Don't know about you, but we've never met a 76-year-old with that level of hip mobility.) And lastly, there are some other "people" in the background of the image, but all of them look decidedly disinterested in the former POTUS. They're all either looking at their phones or looking away, and we can't imagine that if any president, in the middle of any room, took a knee to pray in a ray of golden, glowing Jesus light, everyone would probably pay at least a bit of attention. Or at least snap a selfie with such a choice backdrop. ## Onward, We Guess Giveaways aside, though, the "photo" is still impressive, and a lot of people, particulary older and less technologically savvy folks, might not be able to tell the difference. Of course, fan art has always existed, and fans can technically make and share whatever they want. But this specific — and quite new, at least in terms of ease and accessibility — type of hyperrealistic *and* easily-generated AI imagery sits dangerously on the line between fan art and misinformation, especially considering that the former president in question shared the hype-y photo *while* actively contributing to a swell of fury and excitement over something that *hasn't even happened.* And, of course, without marking the image as bot-generated. Welp. Cheers to 2024. **More on Trump's AI affinity:** [*People Keep Posting Phony Ai-generated Images of Trump Getting Arrested*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()