Trump blames AI for viral video of bag being tossed from White House, insists windows 'are sealed'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump pushed back on claims tied to a viral video that appeared to show a trash bag of sorts being tossed from a White House window.

At a press conference on September 2, Trump dismissed the clip as “AI-generated,” even after Fox News’ Peter Doocy showed it to him on his phone.

Trump claims White House windows can't be opened

The footage circulated widely online, sparking speculation and theories about what was happening.

The Daily Wire’s Mary Margaret Olohan wrote on X that a White House official told her the culprit was “a contractor doing regular maintenance while the president was gone.”

This explanation came after Trump expressed frustration with subcontractors working inside the building.

Hany Farid, a professor at University of California, Berkeley and the chief science officer at deepfake detection firm GetReal, speaking to CNN on Tuesday said that he didn’t see any evidence of AI manipulation.

“We do not detect any digital watermarks that are sometimes inserted at the point of AI-generation. The shadows in the scene, including the shadow cast by the tossed bag, are all physically consistent,” he said.

“The motion of the waving flags have none of the tell-tale signs that you often see in AI-generated videos. The overall structure of the White House appears to be consistent, including the flying of the American and POW/MIA flag.”

Trump insisted the clip was fake, pointing out that the White House windows could not be opened. “They’re all heavily armored and bulletproof… in fact, my wife was complaining about it the other day. She said love to have a little fresh air come in, but you can’t. They’re bulletproof. Number one they’re sealed, and number two each window weighs about 600 pounds. You have to be pretty strong to open them up,” said Trump.

Doocy eventually walked up to the podium and showed Trump the video directly, but the president stood by his claim. “Those windows are sealed. You can’t open them,” he added.

Trump says AI could be blamed for 'anything bad'

Trump also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in spreading misleading content.

“One of the problems we have with AI, it’s good and bad, if something happens really bad, just blame AI. But also they create things. It works both ways,” he said.

“If something that happens that’s really bad maybe I’ll have to blame AI.”

The viral footage, which appeared to show garbage bags being thrown from a White House window, was dubbed bizarre by online users.

Many joked it was “Epstein files” being dumped, though no evidence supports that speculation.

Internet reacts to Trump’s denial of viral clip

The online reaction to Trump’s response was mixed, with some joking about the situation and others pointing to the spread of rumors.

“Viral clip meets reality check—White House windows are 600 lbs, bulletproof, and sealed tight. No ‘mystery object’ flying out. Shows how fast rumors spread online vs. how simple the truth can be,” wrote one user on X.

Another quipped, “Well it looks like The First Lady found a solution to get some air. She is the boss lady!”

One more user shared, “Awesome response from the GOAT!” “Trump makes a fair point: if the windows could be opened, that’d be a MASSIVE security risk. The White House is basically a fortress, folks,” another added.

“I love that Peter just goes up and shows him a video on his phone mid presser. What a president,” wrote one more.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.