President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video late Wednesday night in which he portrays a physician treating celebrities for the fictional “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The clip was posted to his Truth Social account just before midnight, ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend. It shows Trump dressed in white hospital garb with a stethoscope, styled after a pharmaceutical commercial.
“Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with TDS? The symptoms can be relentless,” the AI version of Trump says at the start of the clip. “Fortunately, I’m Dr. Trump, and I have a treatment plan. Let’s hear what some of my patients have to say.”
The video then cuts to AI-generated likenesses of six celebrities who have publicly criticized the president. Rosie O’Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, Julia Roberts, John Leguizamo and Edward Norton all appear as fake “patients” describing symptoms tied to their supposed affliction. None of the celebrities participated in creating the video or consented to the use of their likeness.
The fake O’Donnell figure claims to have suffered for over a decade before seeing results after listening to “Dr. Trump.” The fabricated De Niro version claims his work has slowed and that he has been unable to eat or sleep due to constant anger. The AI Roberts avatar says she feels like she has aged twenty years and has grown anxious about her future.
What ‘TDS’ Actually Refers To
Trump Derangement Syndrome is not a recognized medical diagnosis. It is a pejorative term used by Trump, his administration, and his supporters to describe strong opposition to the president and his policies.
The phrase has circulated for years but took on a darker tone after the murders of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele last December.
Following their deaths, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Reiner had died because of an “unyielding” affliction with the syndrome. Goldberg has previously mocked the term on The View, arguing that Trump himself suffers from what she calls “Obama and Biden derangement syndrome.”
The fake video closes with the AI Trump character offering a simple treatment: turning off fake news, saying prayers, and drinking a Diet Coke like him.
A Pattern of AI Content From the President
This is far from the first time Trump has used artificial intelligence to target critics or reshape his public image online. Earlier this year, he shared a video showing himself as a king in a fighter jet dropping a payload of waste on demonstrators at a “No Kings” protest in New York City.
He has also posted AI-generated images depicting himself dressed as the Pope and Superman, as well as other officials cast as superheroes.
In February, Trump posted an AI clip portraying Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, drawn from a Lion King-themed meme. The White House initially defended the post as satire before it was deleted following backlash, including criticism from some Republicans. Trump later told reporters he had only watched the beginning of the clip and had not reviewed the end before sharing it.
Another AI video from earlier this year showed Trump as a Christ-like figure healing a sick man, which he later said he believed depicted him as a doctor. That post was also removed. The “Dr. Trump” video follows the same visual language, casting the president once again in a caretaking role while ridiculing his opponents.
Timing Raises Questions Amid Deepfake Legislation Push
The video’s release comes as the entertainment industry pushes lawmakers to rein in unauthorized use of performers’ likenesses through artificial intelligence.
The No Fakes Act, legislation aimed at limiting deepfakes distributed without a performer’s consent, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last month. None of the six celebrities featured in Trump’s video had given permission for their image or voice to be used.
Representatives for O’Donnell, Leguizamo, Goldberg, De Niro, Roberts and Norton had not issued public statements on the video as of Thursday. The clip was also shared on X by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino Jr. It remains live on Trump’s account, where it continues to draw reactions from both supporters and critics.
Trump has a long history of public clashes with several of the celebrities featured. He has previously called O’Donnell a “loser” and a “threat to humanity,” and said last year he was considering revoking her U.S. citizenship.
Leguizamo has been an outspoken critic of the administration’s immigration policies, while Goldberg has used her platform on The View to challenge Trump’s conduct and rhetoric on a near-weekly basis.
