Fact Check: Is the viral photo of Trump with a bald eagle and a fox real?
WASHINGTON, DC: Ahead of the Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, an image began circulating on social media claiming to show President Donald Trump sitting alongside a bald eagle and a fox, sparking speculation about its authenticity.
Let us analyze the viral image and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: Viral photo shows Trump sitting alongside a bald eagle and a fox
The viral photo claims to show Trump seated at a picnic table, appearing to have a conversation with a bald eagle and a fox.
The image has spread across X, Facebook, and Instagram, garnering more than a million views as of this writing and triggering mockery and speculation from online users.
While many dismissed the photo as fake, a few others appeared to believe it was real, prompting a fact check.
Fact Check: The fabricated image is based on a viral video
The image, however, is fake, and no such photoshoot involving the president took place ahead of July 4.
An analysis using AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation and ZeroGPT found that the photo was highly likely to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
A search of Trump's social media accounts also found no such image.
The fabricated photo is based on a recent viral video showing an eagle and a fox sitting together at the same picnic table, with no humans present.
The 35-second video was filmed near an Unalaska sign by photographer Rene Rivera and shows the pair perched together like old friends amid the Aleutian Islands' fishing scraps that attract bold wildlife.
After being posted online on July 2, the video drew millions of views, with memes joking about ancient rivalries ending or patriotic unity ahead of July 4.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr also shared a similar AI-generated image of himself sitting beside the eagle and the fox on his official X account.
Trump weighs Fourth of July mass pardons
The claim surfaced ahead of the much-anticipated Fourth of July, as White House officials are reportedly discussing a proposal that could see Trump issue hundreds of pardons to mark America's 250th birthday.
According to a new report, the idea has sparked debate within the administration, with some advisers supporting it while others fear it could become another political flashpoint.
The proposal has not yet reached Trump's desk, but discussions surrounding it are already drawing attention because of the president's extensive use of his constitutional clemency powers since returning to office.
