Trump Posts AI Video of Himself Wrestling Tiger After Sharing Footage Linked to Fatal Attack
Trump shares AI-generated tiger video on Truth Social after posting footage connected to a deadly mauling at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump posted an AI-generated video depicting himself tackling a tiger on Truth Social, extending a series of big cat posts that included footage connected to a fatal tiger attack at a wildlife park in England.
The AI video showed a computer-generated version of Trump confronting a tiger on a lawn before wrestling the animal to the ground, according to newsweek. The post followed earlier videos Trump shared showing big cats attacking people, including footage appearing to show a deadly tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, according to newsweek.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Hello. Good morning. How are you?” on October 15, 2026 at 12:11 PM ET.
This is Trump’s 15th message released today, and the last post was 1 hour ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 148 of his 564 posts over the last 30 days classified as image-only posts.
William Chapman, 23, died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, according to theguardian. His family described him as “bright, warm and engaging” and said he suffered from significant mental illness. Trump posted a video clip of the tiger attack to 13 million followers on Truth Social on Tuesday, captioned “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT,” according to theguardian.
The footage showed the tiger biting and clawing Chapman as he sat in the enclosure, though it did not show his death, according to theguardian. Trump later posted the AI-generated video of himself chasing and play-fighting with the tiger, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens, according to theguardian. The video featured Trump copying a pointing gesture Chapman made and ended with Trump and the tiger hugging.
President Donald J. Trump posts an AI-generated video of himself wrestling a tiger at Washington D.C.
Margo Martin / X (formerly Twitter)
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Chapman’s relatives released a statement calling the circulation of footage “deeply offensive,” according to theguardian. The family said the content caused them “severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time.” “We ask people to stop doing this,” the family said. South Yorkshire Police also asked the public not to share footage of the incident, according to newsweek.
Will Travers, executive president of the Born Free Foundation, an international wildlife charity, called the AI post “not only incredibly insensitive” but also reckless, according to theguardian. “It increases the risk to the lives of humans and captive wild animals,” Travers said. “Such images and videos can encourage individuals to seek out direct, unrealistic and high-risk contact with captive wild animals.”
The wildlife park said the Amur tiger called Altai will not be euthanized, according to theguardian. The park has remained closed since the weekend. Doncaster city council, which licenses the park, said it started a health and safety investigation. An inquest into Chapman’s death is due to open at Doncaster coroner’s court, according to theguardian.
The White House referred questions about the posts to the Truth Social content itself, according to newsweek. Both posts also appeared on the White House’s Rapid Response account on X, according to newsweek. Trump has previously drawn attention for AI-generated imagery on social media, including a vision of Gaza transformed into a luxury resort and a video depicting himself as “King Trump,” according to newsweek.
Chapman’s family said they hoped “the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did,” according to theguardian. The family noted that Chapman “suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication.” The coroner will decide what role medication played in his death, the family said.
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President Trump is the author of Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life, and Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."