President Trump pushed back Tuesday against rumors sparked by a viral video that appeared to show items being tossed out of an upstairs White House window. He insisted the footage was “fake” and generated with artificial intelligence, despite his own press team earlier telling reporters it was a contractor doing routine maintenance.
The video, which spread widely online Monday, seemed to capture a small black bag and a long white object being thrown from the east side of the building. Trump dismissed it as impossible, saying White House windows are bulletproof, sealed, and weigh around 600 pounds. “I know every window up there,” he told reporters. “They don’t open. That video has got to be AI.”
The president even joked that if something serious ever happened, he could “just blame AI,” though he warned that manipulated videos are one of the technology’s biggest dangers. Still, the White House’s conflicting response raised eyebrows after it initially acknowledged a contractor was behind the incident before going silent.
Digital forensics experts, however, noted that the clip showed none of the common flaws of AI-generated videos. Shadows, motion, and details of the White House appeared physically consistent, suggesting the video was authentic. Trump doubled down anyway, repeating that the footage was fabricated and part of a broader media effort to smear him.
This isn’t the first time presidents have remarked on the White House windows. In 2015, former first lady Michelle Obama told Ellen DeGeneres she looked forward to leaving the White House partly because its windows don’t open.
The controversy comes as speculation about Trump’s health and stability has resurfaced in the media and among Democrats, with some suggesting his erratic explanations and fixation on AI conspiracies are signs he may be slipping mentally. Still, the president brushed off such concerns, portraying himself as sharp, in control, and savvy enough to spot a supposed fake.