On Sept. 6, 2025, President Trump threatened Chicago with war. Not through any official declaration, but by posting an AI-generated portrait of himself depicted as a lieutenant colonel from a Vietnam War movie on Truth Social. Trump was referencing his threat to send the National Guard to Chicago, with the first half of the caption reading, “Chicago’s about to find out why it’s called the department of WAR.”

There’s a lot to unpack in the post on its own. This article could easily be a conversation on the many reasons why the second portion of the post’s caption, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning…,” is flagrantly problematic. However, there is a more important discussion to be had beyond just one post.

Upon first glance, generative AI posts like those of Trump can seem harmless. However, people who believe AI is easily detectable are only a subset of the population. If you saw Trump’s Sept. 6 post and immediately recognized the falsity of the image, it may be easy to underestimate the influence of these images on those with little-to-no exposure to AI images.

Even if people have inklings that some images may be AI, they may have a desire for these images to be real. If a figure you highly respect posts an image that supports an idea you already hold, you want it to be true. AI can therefore feed into confirmation bias, especially surrounding political narratives, which should be cause for concern. AI could threaten democratic processes by intensifying echo chambers and political conformity.

In particular, the Trump administration has posted an unprecedented number of AI-generated images over the course of Trump’s 2024 campaign and presidency. Trump’s use of AI is dangerous not because of the absurdity of these images, but because they normalize the capricious use of this technology. Indiscriminate posting of these images means an overwhelming amount of AI-generated content finds its way onto millions of pages and feeds.

Trump’s rage-baiting of Chicago earlier this month was not a mere venture into social media discourse. It’s far from an isolated incident.

Photo from @WhiteHouse on X

You may have heard of Trump’s “AI Gaza Video,” where Trump and Elon Musk bring “prosperity” to the war and famine-stricken Gaza Strip. From an image of Trump as the pope, to him as an evil Star Wars jedi splashed against an uber-patriotic background, many of these images are so obviously phony that it’s funny.

The Trump administration has yet to demonstrate remorse or concern over criticisms against their frequent use of AI. After Palestinians aired their frustrations with the Feb. 25 “Trump Gaza” video, the Trump Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (namely representative Tricia McLaughlin) were seemingly unconcerned with any offense or consternation they may have caused. Furthermore, after backlash from the Catholic community over the pope image incident, Trump got defensive, not regretful. Demonstrating his attempt to use AI images as esoteric jokes, he argued that the Catholic community “loved it” and “can’t take a joke.”

Photo from @realDonaldTrump on X

At my Texan high school, I saw Trump’s AI images influence both adults and teens. I still wonder how many saw this falsified narrative of Kamala Harris, surrounded by communist red with a sickle and a hammer above her head, before they voted. I recall my high school French teacher decrying Harris for her supposed communist connections. I was alarmed at her belief of the AI-generated content as true photographic evidence. I was scared of how the misinformation would influence voters, how false narratives could seem commonplace to impressionable teenagers seeing their lives reflected in politics for the first time.

Like it or not, the majority of us have seen and therefore been influenced by Trump’s AI images. Ultimately, these posts should concern all of us. It is unethical for AI to be weaponized to further harmful political narratives and rhetoric. It is unethical for a figure with the unmatched power of the U.S. presidency to use said technology on professional social media accounts. Having power necessitates careful consideration of every communication made by those wielding it — something disregarded by the Trump administration.

Whenever this topic comes up, people tend to laugh it off. “It’s just a joke.” Sound familiar? We should not be living in a world where apathy towards propaganda-like humor is the societal default. As silly and abstruse as Trump’s fixation with AI image creation may seem, I urge you to consider the deeper consequences of it. It is crucial to consider how these images are being consumed by not only yourself, but also the nation as a whole.

The narratives pushed by our leaders should not make light of war or poverty, but instead should treat it with the sobriety and worry that the public does. Using absurdist humor is a dangerous symptom of a larger concern: misusing power. I believe political America’s love affair with AI is not simply an esoteric joke; it’s writing on the wall for America.