Trump claims photo of him looking out of shape while playing golf must have been AI-altered

‘Sadly, in our Country, Fake News is all you get!’ Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social

In a new twist in his “fake news” crusade, former president Donald Trump claimed that an unflattering photo of him playing golf was AI-generated.

Just before a judge in the civil fraud case determined that Mr Trump owes $350m, the former president posted four photos of himself playing golf. Each photo captured Mr Trump wearing a white polo shirt and his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap.

“The Fake News used Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to create the picture on the top left,” he claimed, referring to a photo in which his belly is hanging out mid-swing.

Mr Trump continued, “These are despicable people, but everyone knows that. The other pictures are me hitting Golf balls today to show the difference. Sadly, in our Country, Fake News is all you get!”

Donald Trump claims top left image was AI-generated (Donald Trump / Truth Social)

While the image was not the work of AI, it does appear to not be a real image of Mr Trump, according to a Snopes fact-check.

“This image is not a legitimate photograph of him,” the website claimed. “It was created by digitally inserting a picture of Donald Trump’s face onto an image of professional golfer and Trump supporter John Daly.”

It’s not clear what news publication posted the altered photo or what prompted Mr Trump to discuss it on his Truth Social.

The health of Mr Trump, a known lover of McDonald’s, has come under recent scrutiny after his bookings in jails in Atlanta and New York City.

In August 2023, after he was indicted in the Georgia election interference case, Mr Trump’s weight was listed as 215 pounds — a notable drop from what he told New York officers in April.

Then, he allegedly weighed 240 pounds.

In 2020, after being treated for Covid, the White House physician noted that the then-president weighed 244 pounds.

More recently, as the president’s health and age are under a new microscope as he’s running for president again, his doctor wrote in November, “President Trump has reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity, while maintaining a rigorous schedule.”