United States President Donald Trump has come under criticism after sharing an apparently AI-generated video of himself interacting with a tiger shortly after posting footage of a fatal tiger attack in the United Kingdom.
The posts, published on Trump’s Truth Social platform, have reignited debate over the circulation of graphic content online and prompted renewed attention to the use of artificial intelligence-generated media on social platforms.
On Tuesday, Trump shared footage of a man being fatally attacked by a tiger, accompanied by the message: “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT.”
He subsequently posted what appeared to be an AI-generated video depicting himself playing with and taming a tiger.
The footage relates to an incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, northern England, where 23-year-old William Chapman died after entering a tiger enclosure on October 10.
South Yorkshire Police said officers responded to reports at approximately 1:35 p.m. that a man had entered the enclosure and been attacked by a tiger.
Emergency responders attended the scene, but Chapman was pronounced dead despite efforts to save his life.
The victim’s family has appealed to members of the public to stop circulating videos of the incident, saying their continued sharing has caused significant distress during a period of grief.
In a statement carried by British media outlets, the family described Chapman as a “bright, warm and engaging young man” and noted that it would be for the coroner to determine whether any medical conditions contributed to the tragedy.
Authorities have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that the tiger involved, an endangered Amur tiger named Altai, was not injured and would not be euthanised. Officials also stressed that there was no ongoing threat to public safety.
The wildlife park was evacuated following the attack and remained closed pending investigations.
Trump’s decision to share both the fatal attack footage and the AI-generated tiger video has drawn criticism online, particularly as the victim’s family continues to appeal for the graphic footage to stop circulating on social media platforms.
