Trump Shares AI-Enhanced Image to Showcase White House Renovations

President Donald Trump shared a series of images on Truth Social showcasing renovations at the White House, but one of the photos seems to have been altered using AI. This particular image, which contrasts an old column with a “restored” version, contains several inconsistencies and was identified by Google’s AI detector as “made or edited with OpenAI.”

Reddit users highlighted that the “restored” column features an uneven number of steps on either side, which doesn’t align with the steps shown in the “before” image. Furthermore, the angles and details of the before and after photos are strikingly similar; the reflections in the windows are almost identical, and the protective cardboard at the base of the column appears to be in the same position. Additionally, the “newly-painted” column has an unnaturally smooth finish.

The photo in question was flagged as AI-generated when uploaded to Google’s SynthID Detector, which analyzes images, videos, and audio for an invisible watermark indicating AI involvement.

While there are real images of people painting the front of the White House from June, suggesting that the column may have received a fresh coat of paint, the White House has not yet responded to inquiries for clarification. Notably, the SynthID watermark was not detected on other images Trump shared, which depict the White House facade and heliport. Trump has a history with AI tools, frequently posting AI-generated caricatures of himself, while the White House has previously shared controversial AI memes and at least one photo that was misleadingly edited to portray a protester in distress.