Analysis: What is the deal with these strange deepfake Trump memes? | CNN Politics

Before there was Trump as Jesus, there was Trump as the pope. There was Trump as Rocky. There was Trump in Apocalypse Now, smelling victory. There was Trump pictured with a red lightsaber like Darth Vader’s, getting into the heads of the resistance on May 4. To troll “No Kings” rallies, he was shown as a fighter pilot, call sign “King Trump,” dropping excrement bombs on protesters below. If it seems like silliness and snark, you’re not in on the joke. Trump may realize he crossed a line with the now-deleted Jesus-like post. But stoking Trump’s base feels like a major part of White House communications strategy at a time when people spend time in online echo chambers and get their information from social media feeds. He’s been pictured by a supporter with an official job at the State Department as a Founding Father, signing what appears to be either the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence — although that AI-generated image is poorly constructed, since he’s writing a feather quill rather than his preferred Sharpie. Laughable. July 4th, 1776 and November 5th, 2024. The two most important dates in American history! pic.twitter.com/8anqoTYLUi He’s depic