PoliticsDonald Trump Uses AI to Turn Longtime Nemesis Robert De Niro Into a MAGA Supporter
Donald Trump called Robert De Niro a 'jerk' in a recent Truth Social post.
Sept. 8 2026, Updated 11:45 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on his Truth Social account that depicted his long-time critic, Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, as a MAGA supporter.
The fabricated picture showed De Niro holding a T-shirt that read "TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT." Trump captioned the photo with: "Even this jerk is beginning to get it!"
Independent analysts quickly flagged the image as fake. According to a Lead Stories fact-check, AI-detection tools verified the image as AI-generated.
Donald Trump's image of Robert De Niro holding a Donald Trump shirt was determined to be AI.
The Hive Moderation tool rated the image as 99.5 percent likely to be AI-generated, specifically pinpointing it to OpenAI's GPT-4o model.
The OpenAI Verify tool detected an embedded SynthID watermark, confirming it was synthesized using OpenAI's digital generation tools.
De Niro has been one of Hollywood’s fiercest and most vocal critics of Trump for a decade, so a real-life endorsement is non-existent. Over the years, their public animosity has featured harsh rhetoric from both sides.
Inside Donald Trump and Robert De Niro's Feud
The actor and Donald Trump have been at odds for years.
De Niro has previously called Trump a "pig," "evil," and a "tyrant."
Trump has historically fired back on social media, calling De Niro "wacko," "stupid-sounding" and a "low-IQ individual" suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The post was part of a larger Labor Day weekend social media spree where Trump shared several AI-generated images, including a conceptual image of himself riding a horse next to George Washington.
- Robert De Niro Says Trump Will 'Destroy' America, Calls MAGA Followers 'Stupid for Following Him ... They Ought to Know Better'
- Donald Trump's 'Doctor' AI Video Turns Celebrity Likenesses Into Political Props
- Donald Trump Brands Robert De Niro a 'Demented Person' After Actor Called Him an 'Enemy of the Country'
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The president has also shared AI-generated content featuring Rosie O'Donnell.
This incident aligns with Trump's frequent use of AI-generated content for political messaging and satire.
In July, he also shared a fabricated video portraying himself as a doctor "curing" De Niro, Rosie O'Donnell and other celebrity detractors of their political biases.
De Niro has not issued a personal statement about the specific AI-generated image the POTUS shared.
Robert De Niro Targets Donald Trump
Robert De Niro said Donald Trump 'is going to destroy not only the country, but other parts of the world.'
Still, the Taxi Driver star’s detestation of Trump showed up in comments he made just weeks earlier.
In August, De Niro spoke bluntly to USA Today about his refusal to remain quiet, stating, "I don't even use the word 'hope' anymore with [Trump's] administration. They have to be gotten out. He's just going to destroy not only the country, but other parts of the world. It's insane."
