Trump White House Deploys AI Meme Against Congressman

The official social media account for the Trump White House has sparked controversy by posting an AI-altered image of a sitting congressman, marking a notable escalation in the use of generative AI in political discourse.

White House Targets Congressman with AI-Altered Meme

On Friday, the Trump White House's X account shared a digitally manipulated headshot of California Representative Jimmy Gomez, altered to make him look as if he were crying. The post didn't stop at the image; it also included a fabricated quote attributed to the congressman: “ThEy’Re JuSt StRaWberRy PiCkErs.” This text style is famously known as the "Mocking Spongebob" meme, used online to sarcastically belittle a statement.

The Catalyst: A Raid on a California Farm

The social media attack was a direct response to Rep. Gomez's public criticism of a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown on a California weed farm. Gomez had argued that Trump and ICE were “targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America.” He also posted on X, "How many MS-13 gang members are waking up at 3 a.m. to pick strawberries? O’yeah, zero!" The White House meme directly mocked this sentiment.

The raid also drew a sharp rebuke from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who posted a video of the operation and called Trump “scum” for the action.

Criticism Over Undisclosed AI Manipulation

The use of an undisclosed fake image by an official government channel quickly drew criticism. Drew Harwell, a technology reporter for The Washington Post, commented on the lack of transparency, stating, "White House is posting AI-altered photos of members of Congress made to look like they’re crying. No disclosure it’s fake."

Adding another layer to the story, CBS News reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez reported that the raid was based on "criminal warrants related to the harboring and employment of immigrants in the U.S. illegally." She also noted that ten child workers were found during the raid, which has prompted a child labor investigation.

A Pattern of Using Memes and AI

This incident is part of a broader trend from the Trump administration's social media. In the past, the White House’s X account has used AI and memes to troll critics, including a Ghibli-style meme of a fentanyl trafficker being deported and an image of President Trump depicted as Superman.