Why is Trump sharing an AI video of Gaza?

7 snips

Feb 26, 2025

Donald Trump stirred controversy by sharing an AI-generated video depicting Gaza in a surreal light, igniting discussions about the role of social media in shaping public perception. The hosts analyze the implications of such provocative content and how it may deepen political divides. They also delve into Elon Musk's recent communications with federal employees, reflecting on the chaos within government operations. The episode explores the ethical dilemmas of AI technology and its influence on political narratives in today's fast-paced media landscape.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Trump's AI Gaza Video

Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video of Gaza transformed into a resort.
The video features Trump, Elon Musk, and Benjamin Netanyahu enjoying the imagined paradise.

INSIGHT

Trump's Social Media Playbook

Trump's video, though potentially offensive, is a calculated move to dominate social media.
This tactic aims to provoke reactions, driving engagement and discussion regardless of sentiment.

INSIGHT

Leveraging Trends

Trump often reuses fan-generated content, capitalizing on online trends.
The AI-generated Gaza video aligns with the current popularity of similar 'day in the life' videos.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Donald Trump sparked a social media frenzy on Wednesday when he posted a video of Gaza generated by artificial intelligence on his site Truth Social. Marianna's been analysing Trump's social media strategy and how he attempts to influence what we see on our online feeds.

Meanwhile, the fallout from Elon Musk's email to federal workers over the weekend continues. Musk asked all federal workers to list their accomplishments to him an email, and defended his actions at the first meeting of Trump's new cabinet earlier today.

Justin and Marianna assess the two stories and what risks could lie ahead for the president.

HOSTS: * Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter * Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent

GET IN TOUCH: * Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB * Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 * Email Americast@bbc.co.uk * Or use #Americast

This episode was made by George Dabby with Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm