Trump finds himself again at the center of internet drama, this time as the subject of a viral AI-generated video that falsely claims he banned Tesla in the US. The fake video, now widely circulated online, shows Donald Trump calling Elon Musk a “snake” and Teslas “junk cars” for “nerds.” It then falsely claims he halted Tesla production in retaliation.
The video, first posted on X (formerly Twitter), portrays Trump saying he can’t let Musk “make money in this country” anymore. He allegedly claims he only bought a Tesla to gain Musk’s support for the 2024 elections. However, Quint quickly flagged the video as fake.
In recent months, Trump actually purchased a red Tesla Model S during a March event at the White House, reportedly paying full price as a gesture toward Musk. But insiders say he’s now “thinking of selling” that vehicle amid their public feud.
Trump Video Raises Deepfake Alarms
To investigate, fact-checkers submitted the video to multiple AI detection tools. An AI tool called Hive Moderation found it was 99.8% likely to be AI-generated. They cited audio inconsistencies that are typical of voice cloning, as well as “unnatural pacing.”
Contrails.ai, another tool, detected both audio and video manipulation, highlighting unnatural lip movements and “monotonous tone.” Community Notes on X also corrected the post, clarifying, “This video is AI-generated. Nothing to do with reality.”
A deepfake video of President Trump banning Teslas is going viral on Meta platforms. Don’t fall for it—report such content if you come across it. pic.twitter.com/yOvUtVzNfe
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) June 9, 2025
Tesla Unaffected Amid Viral Confusion
Tesla continues normal operations in the US, with no official statements or actions from Trump or federal authorities. The misleading video is part of a growing trend where AI-generated deepfakes distort political narratives online.
Trump and Musk’s relationship has for a long time interested the public and is often marked by admiration, criticism, and unpredictability. This fake video taps into that narrative tension to gain clicks, despite having no basis in fact.
