On July 1, 2026, former US President Donald Trump posted a 90-second AI-generated video on his social media platform Truth Social depicting himself as a doctor treating prominent celebrity critics for a fictional condition called "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) [1, 2, 3, 4].
The video features hyper-realistic deepfake versions of celebrities including Rosie O'Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, Julia Roberts, Edward Norton, and John Leguizamo shown as patients who supposedly regret opposing Trump [1, 2, 5, 6, 3, 7, 8, 9, 4, 10, 11, 12]. In one segment, a deepfake Robert De Niro says, "I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, constantly angry. I made everyone miserable around me" [1]. A Julia Roberts deepfake claims she felt "aged 20 years in two years" [2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12].
Styled like a pharmaceutical ad, the video shows Trump dressed in a white lab coat and stethoscope, as the AI doctor prescribes a "treatment plan" of turning off fake news, saying prayers, and drinking Diet Coke to "cure" TDS, which Trump characterizes as a disease afflicting irrational opponents [1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 4, 10, 11, 12]. The AI Dr. Trump says, "The treatment is simple: Turn off fake news, say your prayers and, if you ever feel anxious, just have a Diet Coke like me and you’re gonna see a remarkable difference in your life" [4].
Trump has previously shared AI-generated or deepfake content, including portrayals of himself as Jesus, the Pope, and a crowned king on a fake Time magazine cover, all idealizing his presidency or mocking critics [1, 3, 12]. He voiced belief in TDS as a real disease during a White House event in May 2026, saying, "I heard it actually is a disease" [2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
The video drew strong condemnation from some, notably Rosie O'Donnell, who called Trump "quite ill-and getting worse daily," and urged his removal under the 25th Amendment, saying, "The 25th amendment exists for exactly this reason. Remove. Impeach. Convict" [1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. By contrast, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle defended Trump’s legal right to post the video and described "Trump Derangement Syndrome" as "a debilitating disease" corrupting many minds [1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12].
The video has sparked controversy over its use of AI deepfakes to depict celebrities making fictional testimonials in praise of Trump, raising ethical and legal questions about the use of their likeness without consent [1, 2, 10, 11, 12].
Trump posted the video shortly before midnight on July 1, 2026 [3, 4].
