Trump posts more AI-generated Trump and Jesus fan art


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You can’t spell “antichrist” without “AI.”

Of all the things that would have broken the Religious Right’s alliance with him Donald Trumphe – she He was Whether he posted an AI-generated photo of himself in the form of Jesus Christ, healing the sick and surrounded by heavenly angels – just hours after the attack Pope Leo XIVNo less. (As a conservative commentator Rod Dreherwho attended J.D. Vance catholic baptism, He said The Wall Street Journal: “I am not saying that Trump is the Antichrist. But he radiates the spirit of the Antichrist, without a doubt.”) This time, it was not the White House army that generated it. Trump admitted to reporters on Mondaywhile accepting a DoorDash delivery, posted the photo on Truth Social. “I thought it was me as a doctor,” he said.

but User X S2_Underground detected Weird thing: The photo Trump posted wasn’t exactly new. An AI-generated version of the image was initially posted by a MAGA influencer named Nick Adams Last February, but by the time she arrived at Trump’s service, several strange twists had occurred. The most notable one, which went viral, was that a soldier floating in the clouds turned into an unidentified winged being with a spiky head, and was immediately deemed a demon by social media users. But there are several subtle changes, too: Trump’s flag has more stars than Adams’s, fighter jets look a little further away, buildings in the background look blurrier, and everyone’s faces, including Trump’s, look more fearful and less benevolent. Additionally, one guy’s “veteran” hat turned out to be what my co-worker did Owen Grove It is described as an “innovative” hat.

Original version, posted by @NickAdamsinUSA, via @s2_underground/X.

Version posted by @realdonaldtrump/Truth Social.

So what happened between Adams’ participation and Trump’s participation? Memoirs They were silent, as always. But Trump has famously always had the final say on what ends up on his social media pages, and the history of his presidency is significant. Full of examples from his advisors Unable to stop Trump From publishing Or repost things he personally comes across. Although the post was deleted (rarely!), it appears that no one in the White House is trying to stop Trump from posting more Blasphemous photos fail to do so: On Wednesday morning, Trump posted another AI-generated photo from a follower that depicts… He and Jesus embrace in front of the American flag. “Radical leftist lunatics may not like this, but I think it’s very cute!!!” he wrote.

Image via @realdonaldtrump/Truth Social.

Image via @realdonaldtrump/Truth Social.

The most important works of WHCD cooperation in the capital are…

Here’s a terrible secret of political journalism in Washington, D.C., that I’ve learned over the years: You can roughly measure the health of a media company by the size of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Week event. If it is registered as an ambassadorial residence for one year but is downgraded to “special reception” the following year, that is one mark. If they partner with another outlet, they are likely pooling resources. If it’s to be hosted with a tech company — an increasingly popular option — there will likely be a quiet agreement that the tech company foots the bill.

Here are some of our favorite media/technology collaborations I’ve heard about this cycle:

  • On Thursday, YouTube, a hugely wealthy subsidiary of Google, and CSPAN, the public television station Currently facing a financial crisis With the rise of streaming services impacting cable profits, we’re co-hosting a reception at Meridian House, a gorgeous neoclassical mansion owned by Meridian International Center. (For context, Meridian House is A dream wedding venue for DC social climbers.)
  • Washington Magazine, a community publication I’ve always struggled with The same budget problems plague local mediaholds a lavish annual Four Seasons party with the Embassy of Qatar, the oil-rich nation with one of the highest rates of GDP per capita. (someone He has to pay for the free, high-quality whiskey.)
  • Beehiiv, a newsletter startup and competitor to Substack, is hosting a reception Friday at the Shinola store on 14th Street. Yes, drinks along with watches and notebooks.
  • Not a technology company, but a surprising one: America250 has attached its name to the Motion Picture Association’s annual Friday gala, based on an invitation I’ve seen. Founded by an act of Congress long before Trump entered politics, America250 was supposed to be a nonpartisan nonprofit to fund America’s 250th anniversary this year, but it has evolved into one of several nonprofits used by corporate donors to lobby the second Trump administration. Last year, major companies like Amazon, Oracle, Meta, Coinbase, and Palantir became sponsors of America250 Right before Trump’s controversial military parade (Held on Trump’s birthday).

“He’s a deranged penguin.”

edge Features editor Kevin Nguyen (no relation) Recently The famous director was interviewed Werner Herzog ahead of the 6K IMAX re-release of his 2010 documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The vast majority of the interview focused on the difficulties of remaking this film, but I asked Kevin if he could get Herzog’s opinion on something very specific about my world. What does he think of the social media teams used by the Trump administration? The “Nihilistic Penguin” scene. Of his Encounters at the end of the world To make memes Promoting MAGA nationalist ideology eLater this year? (In their novel, the Penguin, who keeps escaping his colony and heading into the mountains alone, is a nonconformist freethinker; in the 2007 documentary, Herzog describes the Penguin as “crazy,” “unhinged,” and “running toward certain death.”)

Their conversation is below:

I saw you Admit this on your Instagram – This scene with the crazy penguin from Encounters at the end of the world He’s kind of got a new life. I was wondering if you saw that Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security I turned it into a meme.

Werner Herzog: Well, it’s weird. It’s not just Homeland Security or the White House. There are tens of thousands of others who have used it. (He laughs) The weird thing about this is that I made and released this movie 18 years ago. For 18 years, this little scene was part of the movie. Why is it that today, 18 years later, all of a sudden, this Internet phenomenon has exploded? Why is this? And you see the White House using it. I have to say I’m a defender of free speech and I have to concede free speech to the White House as well. So it doesn’t really hurt because – as I call it “fair use” – it only takes a few seconds. It’s kinda funny to me. The White House bringing it up is kind of a joke.

So doesn’t it bother you that the White House called it some kind of joke? Completely disconnected from the context of the film? I’ve watched the White House and Department of Homeland Security clips. They seem to completely misunderstand the scene or even the words.

I mean you have 80 thousand misunderstandings. If you’re talking about misunderstanding, it doesn’t matter. The real puzzling question is why 18 years after the film was released? What doesn’t really come through in all of these memes is that it’s a heartbreaking story that sticks with you.

I remember the scene well in the context of the movie, and then when you watch it as a clip from Homeland Security, it’s very strange. Are they celebrating penguin independence?

Well, so do I. The penguin is simply — I wouldn’t say crazy. I have a better word for that: Deranged. It’s out of scope. He’s a deranged penguin. Let there be hundreds of different interpretations and contexts and a life of their own. It’s confusing, and you see, when the White House released it – and I think they only used six or seven seconds – I only heard about it four days later. I looked at him; By then the whole thing was already over. These web events are ephemeral. It lasted 48 hours and then disappeared.

We are in Edge We talked nonstop about this Feature 11,000 words of AtlanticKatie Weaver —personally one of my favorite writers working today—on her national quest to find the best free-range restaurant bread in America. Mild spoilers ahead: It turns out that her top choice is served at a restaurant in D.C., and I can personally confirm that it is indeed an amazing bread. (I have complaints about other average breads that come with it, but that’s neither here nor there.)

For any bakers reading organizer He cannot reach restaurants that serve him, A source (aka DC’s friend who is an avid home baker) told me this This recipe is a very close trick. Give it a chance if you can!

Screenshot via @cd_hooks/X.

Screenshot via @cd_hooks/X.

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