Donald Trump shares AI-generated Space Force image showing missile strikes on Earth
WASHINGTON, DC: Launching into a rapid-fire posting spree, President Donald Trump on Sunday, May 17, shared an AI image of himself on his Truth Social platform, sitting in what appears to be a space station or spaceship.
Trump also released an image of himself walking alongside a gray, humanoid alien figure at what appeared to be a military site.
New media post from Donald J. Trump
— Commentary Donald J Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) May 17, 2026
( TruthSocial: May 17 2026, 4:53 PM ET ) pic.twitter.com/1GvIspd9FM
In the social media spree, Trump also shared an AI image, imagining himself sitting at a futuristic command center overlooking Earth from space and pressing a red button.
In the background, five monitor screens show lasers hitting the Earth and creating nuclear-bomb-like mushroom clouds with “TARGET DESTROYED” written on two of the screens.
The image was simply titled “Space Force.”
New media post from Donald J. Trump
— Commentary Donald J Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) May 17, 2026
( TruthSocial: May 17 2026, 5:16 PM ET ) pic.twitter.com/SX3iA8kO7v
Another similar AI-image of Trump from the space station showed him operating satellite weapons to destroy other satellite weapons in Earth’s orbit, next to a flag that read, “STACEBS SPACE FORCE.”
White House says space is the new battlefield
The White House in 2018, after Trump’s launch of the Space Force, said, “Space is now recognized as a warfighting domain and the United States must be prepared to meet the emerging threats we face in this new battlefield.”
“Recognizing this, President Trump is taking action to ensure that the American military is equipped to protect our Nation and preserve our freedom to operate in, from, and to space,” it added.
Notably, the Trump administration is currently working on a space-based missile interceptor, a 'Golden Dome'. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Lockheed Martin have been awarded contracts to make the project a reality.
As per nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates, Trump’s futuristic 'Golden Dome' missile system will cost about $1.2 trillion (£882bn) to develop, deploy, and operate over two decades.
CBO report doubts system's efficiency against large-scale attacks
Reports also suggest that the system designed to protect the US from ballistic and cruise missiles might not even work.
A new CBO report warned that the proposed 'Golden Dome' defense system may not be able to withstand a large-scale attack from countries such as Russia or China.
Days after returning to the White House in January, Donald Trump introduced the project as a shield against “next-generation” aerial threats.
However, the CBO cautioned that despite its massive projected cost, the system could still be overwhelmed by a coordinated attack from a major military rival.
Trump’s NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced in March that the agency would build a US base on the Moon in the coming years.