FACT CHECK: Viral X Image Appearing To Show Trump Serving In The Military Is AI-Generated

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A viral image shared on X, formerly Twitter, purports to show former President Donald Trump serving in the U.S. military.

Verdict: False

A content detection scan using Hive Moderation reveals the image is 99% likely to have been generated with artificial intelligence (AI). Trump received an I-Y medical deferment during the Vietnam-era draft and did not serve in the U.S. military as a result, according to The Atlantic. A media forensics and AI expert also denied the image’s authenticity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Trump has generated online controversy with a Christmas message posted on his TRUTH Social account directed at his political opponents, according to The Hill. “May they rot in Hell,” Trump wrote in the post, the outlet reported.

The X image, viewed over 50,000 times, purports to show Trump serving in the U.S. military. In the photo, Trump appears to wear a military uniform and helmet and appears to be leading a group of soldiers. “Stollen [sic] valor, stollen [sic] lives, stollen [sic] documents and lies, lies, lies. America deserves better than this failure of a human as our POTUS,” the image’s caption reads.

The image is not authentic, however. A content detection scan using Hive Moderation reveals the image is 99% likely to have been generated with AI. The same scan indicates the image was probably created using the program Midjourney.

Screenshot captured via Hive Moderation

Likewise, the viral X image is not referenced in any recent credible news reports about the former Republican President. Trump also has not publicly commented on the image via his website or TRUTH Social account. (RELATED: No, Donald Trump Did Not Say He Has Read ‘Mein Kampf’)

Furthermore, Trump received an I-Y medical deferment during the Vietnam-era draft and did not serve in the U.S. military as a result, according to The Atlantic, who cited an article from The New York Times. The New York Times reported Trump received the deferment for bone spurs in his heels.

Dr. Walter Scheirer, a media forensics and AI expert at the University of Notre Dame, denied the image’s authenticity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“This image is obviously AI generated. It exhibits the typical mash-up style of generative AI that blends elements from different periods together. Trump appears as he does today, while the military gear is reminiscent of earlier wars of the 20th century. Overall, the image is akin to a satirical political cartoon, and is not photorealistic,” Scheirer said.
Check Your Fact has also contacted a Trump spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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