President Donald Trump spent a chunk of his weekend flooding Truth Social with a parade of artificial intelligence images depicting himself in a wide array of scenarios ― and the marathon concluded with one of the most head-scratching pictures of the bunch. The final image showed Trump seated at a table alongside Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in a scene so odd that even a casual observer might do a double take.
The particulars are what really set the internet buzzing. In the image, Trump is dressed in clothing almost identical to Lincoln’s period attire, and the trio of presidents appear to be signing an upside-down U.S. map. That’s right ― the map of the country they’re supposedly memorializing is flipped the wrong way, a detail that critics and commenters were quick to seize upon.
A Weekend of Strange Snapshots
The dead-presidents portrait was just the finale of a much longer run. Over the course of the weekend, Trump shared an image of himself looking at a photo of his younger self dressed in the military academy uniform he wore as a teenager, plus another casting him as some sort of Revolutionary War hero. It’s a striking motif for a president who never actually served in the armed forces.
During the Vietnam War, Trump was eligible for the draft but obtained four educational deferments while in college and a fifth medical deferment for bone spurs in his feet. He subsequently told radio host Howard Stern that avoiding sexually transmitted diseases was "my personal Vietnam", a remark that resurfaces whenever he uses military-themed imagery.
Trump also shared several other unusual images that weekend. One labeled Venezuela the “51st state,” while another depicted him towering over Greenland, which he has expressed interest in acquiring for the United States. He also posted versions of himself styled as Elvis and kissing a Jesus figurine on a cross.
Critics Weigh In
The reaction online was swift and, in many corners, incredulous. Ron Filipkowski, who tracks right-wing media, quipped that it was "good to know" Trump had time for AI images after golfing instead of addressing more pressing concerns.
Former congressman Adam Kinzinger said bluntly that Trump never served in the military. Norman Ornstein noted that Trump attended a military academy as a teenager in a failed attempt to correct behavioral issues. Robert Graham claimed the military ribbons visible in one image belonged to Trump’s classmate Jeff Scadron, not Trump himself.
Ed Mazza, deputy editor of trends at HuffPost, documented the entire weekend’s posts, ending with the Washington-Lincoln image. Critics generally argued that Trump was wasting time on self-promotion rather than governing.
Not the First AI Controversy
This latest round of images lands in a stretch during which Trump’s Truth Social activity has drawn repeated scrutiny. On Sunday, April 12, he shared an AI-generated picture showing himself in a white robe with a red sash, extending a glowing hand toward a sick patient in a hospital bed. Many viewers ― including some of his most devoted supporters ― read it as a blasphemous depiction of Jesus healing the infirm. The background was packed with symbolism: the Statue of Liberty, a fluttering U.S. flag, fighter jets, an eagle, a nurse, a woman praying and what looked like a soldier in uniform.
Trump deleted that image after roughly 14 hours. He acknowledged posting it and told reporters he thought it showed him "as a doctor" tied to the Red Cross, insisting he makes people better. He later told CBS News he took it down because he didn’t want anyone to be confused.
The backlash then cut across the political spectrum. Christian activist Sean Feucht, who has been organizing faith-based events for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, called for the image to be removed. Conservative activist Riley Gaines wrote that God shall not be mocked, and Christian Broadcasting Network journalist David Brody said the post crossed a line that supporters could reject while still backing the broader mission.
Notably, that April image went up less than an hour after Trump had criticized Pope Leo XIV ― the first American pope ― saying he was “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” Pope Leo has repeatedly condemned the war in Iran and said he has no fear of the administration or of speaking out. In February 2026, Trump’s account posted a racist video showing Barack and Michelle Obama depicted as apes, which was later deleted. The weekend’s presidential portrait, upside-down map and all, is simply the newest entry in that ever-growing gallery.