Presidential conduct: AI video mocking 'No Kings' protesters

Case

Note on category: unlike other entries, this is not a financial corruption or oversight-circumvention case. It concerns presidential conduct and use of official communication channels to respond to mass protest, included under the broader 'unethical/awful' scope of this project rather than 'corruption' specifically.

What happened
On October 18, 2025, an estimated 7 million people participated in more than 2,500-2,700 'No Kings' protests across all 50 states, organized against what organizers called the administration's 'authoritarian power grab.'
That evening, Trump posted a 19-second AI-generated video to Truth Social depicting himself wearing a crown, piloting a fighter jet labeled 'King Trump,' and dropping brown sludge resembling feces onto protesters in a scene resembling Times Square, set to Kenny Loggins' 'Danger Zone.' The video specifically targeted an identifiable individual, 23-year-old progressive commentator Harry Sisson, shown being hit by the payload.
The video originated from another X account and was reposted by Trump; it was shared on both his personal Truth Social account and the official White House Rapid Response X account.
An NBC News review found Trump posted dozens of AI-generated videos over the preceding nine months, with roughly half posted in August and September 2025 alone.

Reactions
Kenny Loggins publicly demanded the unauthorized use of his recording be removed, saying the video was 'created with the sole purpose of dividing us.'
Sisson said he was directly targeted and asked reporters to press Trump on it; VP JD Vance responded to him on X saying he would ask Trump.
Asked at a press conference whether it was appropriate for the president to post a video of himself 'pooping on the American people,' House Speaker Mike Johnson responded only that 'the president uses social media to make a point.'
Hunter Biden called the video 'juvenile' and said it amounted to 'painting a target' on Sisson specifically.

Note
The administration and allies framed the video as trolling rather than authoritarian intent.

Sources
[1] Yahoo/HuffPost (https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/exclusive-hunter-biden-blasts-trump-144753233.html)
[2] Variety (https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/trump-ai-video-no-kings-fighter-jet-brown-sludge-protestors-1236556347/)
[3] NBC News (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-posts-ai-video-dumping-no-kings-protesters-rcna238521)
[4] Deadline (https://deadline.com/2025/10/kenny-loggins-trump-ai-no-kings-video-1236592144/)

Connections

Same actor — AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes on Truth Social
Both cover AI-generated videos Trump posted to Truth Social; NBC found dozens in nine months before the No Kings video.

Related — America.gov launch and the 'Super Intelligence' AI rename (Sept. 2026)
Both show AI as a tool of presidential messaging, one in a mocking video and one in an official government portal.

Related — Trump's documented degrading and dehumanizing statements about people (hub)
The video showed protesters and a named commentator hit with sewage-like sludge, an example of degrading imagery aimed at critics.

Same context — Trump's Truth Social threats to "hunt down" and jail critics and opponents
Both are Trump's use of Truth Social to target critics and opponents.