Donald Trump‘s Oval Office address about the assassination of Charlie Kirk has been hit with claims that the video was made using artificial intelligence.
Andy Signore, who hosts YouTube channel Popcorned Planet, shared a slow-motion segment from the video saying that Trump’s finger ‘disappears’ in the edit.
The White House has condemned the claim as a ‘deranged conspiracy theory’.
‘Um that Trump speech was AI… His pinky DISSAPPEARS!’ Signore claimed on X.
‘I don’t care if it was just an edit – Trump sued 60 Minutes for MILLIONS over just an edit!’ he added, referring to the president’s lawsuit against CBS for allegedly biased editing of an interview with Kamala Harris, who was vice president at the time.
‘Now they can just use AI when they want!? Can you imagine if President Biden got caught using AI to edit a speech!? This is outrageous,’ Signore said.
However, the pinky’s ‘disappearance’ appears to be just an illusion when Trump’s hand blurred for a moment – as social media users were quick to point out.
‘It’s very obviously a Morph Cut in Premiere Pro. This is at least two takes cut together,’ one X user replied.
‘Lol it is very clearly not AI. Come on bro,’ another person added alongside two laughing-face emojis, while another said: ‘It’s a morph cut, dummy.’
Donald Trump ‘s Oval Office address about the assassination of Charlie Kirk has been hit with claims that the video was made using artificial intelligence
Andy Signore, who hosts YouTube channel Popcorned Planet, shared a slow-motion segment from the video claiming that Trump’s finger ‘disappears’ in the edit
However, the pinky’s ‘disappearance’ appears to be just an illusion when Trump’s hand blurred for a moment – as social media users were quick to point out
‘There was no AI used in this video,’ a White House spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
‘President Trump recorded a heartfelt message following the tragic assassination of his dear friend, Charlie Kirk.
‘Anyone sharing deranged conspiracy theories should be ashamed of themselves.’
Conservative firebrand Kirk was killed by a single bullet to the neck as he engaged with students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon.
The FBI has released images of a person of interest (shown above) in Kirk’s death
As the manhunt for his killer continues for a second day, the FBI has released photographs of a ‘person of interest’ wearing all black who they want to identify.
The man is of slim build, and he is shown in the images wearing a snapback with sunglasses, long pants, and a long-sleeved top.
Investigators are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of whoever is responsible for Kirk’s death. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
President Donald Trump initially announced the tragic news of Kirk’s death on his social media site, Truth Social.
‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,’ Trump wrote.
‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife, Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’
Trump later addressed the nation in a somber speech delivered from the Oval Office.
Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months. He was just 31 years old when he was slaughtered at a college event
President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social. ‘No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,’ Trump wrote. ‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us’
‘To 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,’ Trump said.
He praised Kirk as a man of faith who loved his country and advocated for it to his followers.
‘Charlie 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.’
‘He’s a martyr for truth and freedom and there has never been anyone who was so respected by youth,’ Trump continued.
‘Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort that he is now with God in Heaven.
‘Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, his two young and beloved children and his family, whom he loved more than anything in the world.
‘We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain.’
Father-of-two Kirk was killed by a single gunshot wound to the neck on Wednesday afternoon at Utah Valley University. (Pictured: Kirk at the college event)
Your browser does not support iframes.
Trump’s speech took a darker turn as he looked toward those responsible for this ‘dark moment for America’.
‘It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequences of demonizing those with whom you disagree, day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,’ he said.
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk (nee Frantzve), and their three-year-old daughter and 16-month-old son.
He quickly ascended in conservative circles after co-founding the right-wing youth organization Turning Point USA in 2012 with marketing entrepreneur and Tea Party activist Bill Montgomery.