Donald Trump has posted a series of AI-generated images and videos depicting himself with George Washington and other historical military figures, as he faces pressure over the Iran war, low approval ratings and reports about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The article argues that these posts appear intended to reinforce his legacy and present him as a founder-like or wartime leader, while allowing him to communicate directly through Truth Social.

The posts include Trump and Washington in an imagined completed White House ballroom, at a table over a map and riding horses, as well as a video of them inspecting the ballroom. Trump has described the ballroom as a potential legacy project, and also shared an AI image of himself in military uniform alongside Generals George Patton and Douglas MacArthur, wearing more medals than the two are depicted with combined. Media Matters president Angelo Carusone said the imagery suggested Trump was seeking to associate himself with Washington’s stature and build a lasting personal brand.