On Tuesday, President Donald Trump addressed a viral video that depicted items being thrown out of a window at the White House. Initially, his press team appeared to confirm the video's authenticity, labeling it as a situation involving a contractor performing maintenance work while the President was absent. However, Trump ultimately dismissed the video as a fabrication, attributing it to artificial intelligence manipulation.
The controversial video, which gained traction online the previous day, shows what seems to be a small black bag and a long white object being thrown from an upstairs window on the east side of the White House. Trump insisted that the video was “got to be fake,” arguing that the windows are heavy and sealed, making it impossible to open them under normal circumstances. He further claimed, “I know every window up there," asserting they are equipped to withstand significant force, including bullets.
After watching the video on the phone of Fox News Channel reporter Peter Doocy, Trump reiterated his stance, stating, “If something happens that’s really bad, maybe I’ll have to just blame AI.” He openly expressed concern about the potential misuse of AI to create misleading content. While discussing the topic of the sealed windows, he even shared a recent anecdote involving First Lady Melania Trump, who, he noted, had complained about wanting fresh air, only to find out that the windows were not operational.
The situation took another turn when Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert from the University of California, Berkeley, reviewed the video for its authenticity. He reported that he found no discernible digital watermarks commonly associated with AI-generated content. Farid pointed out that the shadows in the footage were consistent and displayed realistic characteristics, such as the motion of the flags, which showed no signs of AI interference. Furthermore, he indicated that the architectural details of the White House portrayed in the video were accurate.
Interestingly, this is not the first time the issue of window functionality in the Executive Mansion has surfaced. Former First Lady Michelle Obama, during a 2015 appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” stated her appreciation for car rides with open windows, noting that the windows of the White House do not open for security reasons.
The White House did not respond to a request for clarification regarding the conflicting statements about the video. The situation has raised questions surrounding the reliability of information, especially with the growing sophistication of AI technology and its implications in public discourse.
