WATCH: Trump Posts AI Video of Obama Arrest as DNI Gabbard Accuses Him of 'Treason'
President Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting Barack Obama’s arrest, amplifying claims by intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard that Obama orchestrated a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine Trump’s 2016 election victory. The controversial deepfake and allegations have sparked widespread debate about misinformation and political accountability.
President Donald Trump posted a provocative AI-generated video on Truth Social, depicting former President Barack Obama being arrested by FBI agents in the Oval Office. The 45-second clip, set to the Village People’s “YMCA,” begins with real footage of Obama and other Democrats stating, “No one is above the law,” before transitioning to a fabricated scene of Trump grinning as agents handcuff Obama during their November 2016 transition meeting. The video concludes with Obama in an orange jumpsuit behind bars. Shared without a disclaimer, the deepfake, originally from a pro-MAGA TikTok user, sparked outrage, with critics on X calling it “deeply irresponsible” for fueling misinformation. One X user, Republicans against Trump, remarked, “Anything to distract from the Epstein files…”
The post followed explosive claims by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who, on July 18, 2025, declassified over 100 pages of documents alleging Obama’s administration “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to falsely suggest Russian interference aided Trump’s 2016 election victory. Speaking on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Gabbard stated, “Over 100 documents that we released on Friday really detail and provide evidence of how this treasonous conspiracy was directed by President Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office after President Trump had already gotten elected.” She claimed pre-election intelligence found Russia was “probably not trying to influence the election by using cyber means,” but Obama’s team pushed a contradictory January 2017 assessment to undermine Trump, adding, “The effect of what President Obama and his senior national security team did was subvert the will of the American people, undermining our democratic republic and enacting what would be essentially a years-long coup against President Trump, who was duly elected by the American people.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson supported Gabbard, posting on X, “DISMANTLING THE DEEP STATE! New evidence from @DNIGabbard confirms what we’ve long known: The Russia hoax was a political hit job manufactured by Obama officials and weaponized by intel agencies to take down President Trump. Accountability is long overdue!” The video, viewed over 3 million times by July 21, 2025, intensified debates about AI deepfakes, with calls for stricter regulations. Critics, including Sen. Mark Warner, dismissed Gabbard’s claims as “baseless,” citing prior investigations confirming Russian probing of 2016 election systems.