Charlie Kirkโs murder has left the US in shock. Late Thursday, his body returned to his home state of Arizona, traveling aboard Air Force Two alongside his family and Vice President JD Vance. On Friday, his alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robertson, had been taken into custody.
Not long after announcing the conservative political activistโs death, he released a video from the Oval Office commenting on the horrific incident.
But the aftermath of Trumpโs speech produced a storm of a different kind. On social media, many users are now claiming it wasnโt Trump at all, but an AI-generated version.
Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Charlie Kirkโs body was flown on Air Force Two from Utah to his home in Arizona late Thursday, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance. It was President Donald Trump who broke the news that Kirk had died, issuing a statement from the Oval Office.
โTo my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,โ Trump said.
โCharlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. Heโs a martyr for truth and freedom, and thereโs never been anyone who was so respected by youth.โ
โCharlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven. Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, their two young beloved children, and his entire family, who he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain.โ
The President of the United States added that they would โfind each and everyoneโ who has been involved, โincluding the organizations that fund it and support it.โ
โToday, because of this heinous act, Charlieโs voice has become bigger and grander than ever beforeโand itโs not even close,โ Trump concluded.
โMay God bless his memory. May God watch over his family. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you. โ
The speech, as of early Friday, has garnered over 130 million views, though many moved to criticize the White House after its publication. Users online have accused the administration of using an AI version of himself, with some claiming to have proof.
โUhhhh, can some of the bigger accounts start talking about the Trump Oval Office address being AI. This is a pretty big deal,โ one X user wrote.
A second added: โSo yesterday was incredibly weird. First, Trump is one of the first people to announce that Charlie had died. Immediately after that, MAGA influencers began pushing Civil War spin. Then, Trump gave an address that was at least partially AI-generated. Remarkably weird things are happening.โ
A third stated that it โvery much looks like an AI avatar of Trump delivering an official message for the president,โ stating that his โbody and hands barely move for the entire video.โ
Less than 20 seconds into Trumpโs speech, some users noticed that the presidentโs hand appears to jump, nothing that his ring finger can be seen โgoing missing,โ blending into his hand.
A fourth user had noticed it, writing on X, โI feel like Iโm losing my mind.โ
On Reddit, the conversation about Trumpโs address being AI-generated was also underway. One user wrote, โJust look at his hands the whole time. The proof is there. No need to look for the more subtle hints,โ while another wrote, โI mean his ring finger straight up disappears. No shrooms needed.โ
A third Reddit user, per Unilad, stated: โWell he has been posting other ai videos lately so it wouldnโt surprise me.โ But while some were sure Trumpโs statement on Kirk and the assassination was AI-generated, not everyone agreed.
One Reddit user explained: โItโs a common editing tool called a โMorph Editโ that you use when you canโt get everything in one take, so, you take the end of the first take plus the start of the other take and the editing program โMorphsโ them into a single take,โ a tech-savvy Redditor explained. โVery common tool that has been around for years before AI was a thing.โ
A second chipped in: โThatโs what I think is happening, theyโre hiding a cut. Probably still not a great sign that the sitting US president canโt string two paragraphs together without a break but I donโt think itโs all AI.โ
Do you think Donald Trumpโs speech was AI-generated or not? Please share your thoughts in the comment section on Facebook.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirkโs family. Rest in peace.
