U.S. President Donald Trump on July 21 shared a provocative AI‑generated deepfake video on his Truth Social platform, depicting former President Barack Obama being arrested by FBI agents inside the Oval Office, followed by scenes of him in an orange prison jumpsuit behind bars. The video opens with footage of Obama and other prominent Democrats, including Joe Biden, declaring “no one is above the law,” before cutting to the fabricated arrest and incarceration.

Set to the tune of the Village People’s “YMCA” and featuring alt‑right imagery like Pepe the Frog, the approximately one‑minute clip was originally uploaded by a pro‑MAGA TikTok user before Trump reshared it. He made no disclaimer clarifying it was fictional, prompting swift criticism. Opponents labeled the stunt “deeply irresponsible,” arguing it risks misleading the public and inflaming political polarization.

The timing follows recent allegations by former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard—now serving as U.S. Director of National Intelligence—that Obama’s team committed a “treasonous conspiracy” by politicizing intelligence on Russian interference in the 2016 election. A 114‑page ODNI report, however, states that intelligence assessments prior to the 2016 vote deemed Russian election interference unlikely. The deepfake has reignited concerns over the ethical and societal impacts of AI‑generated misinformation during an increasingly charged pre‑election environment.