Trump shares AI-generated image of shackled alien days after Pentagon releases UFO files

Trump's Wild Social Media Posts Feature Shackled Alien and Space Warfare

In a remarkable display of Trump's recent social media activity, President Donald Trump spent hours on May 17 sharing surreal AI-generated images on Truth Social that depicted himself in various extraterrestrial and military scenarios 1

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. The most striking image showed the 79-year-old president walking beside a muscular silver extraterrestrial being wearing shackles on its hands and feet, flanked by Secret Service agents and military personnel through what appeared to be a desert military base 1

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. The AI-generated image drew attention for visible glitches, with the shackled alien seemingly only partially handcuffed, while mountains and military vehicles filled the background 2

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Pentagon Releases UFO Files Without Smoking Gun Evidence

The posting spree came just days after the Pentagon released what it described as "never-before-seen" files on unidentified flying objects on May 8 1

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. Trump shares partially handcuffed AI alien imagery followed his administration's directive in February ordering federal agencies to review and release records connected to UFO and UAP files, citing "tremendous interest" 2

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. However, experts who analyzed the declassified documents found no "smoking gun" showing clear evidence of extraterrestrial life visits to Earth 1

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. Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena analyst Mick West stated that dozens of previously classified UFO files showed no strong evidence of "any kind of advanced technology and certainly not something like extraterrestrials" 1

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Space Warfare and Political Attacks Dominate Truth Social Feed

Beyond the shackled alien imagery, Donald Trump posted multiple AI-generated images depicting himself behind the controls of a spaceship as other ships exploded in the background, with one post bearing the words "target destroyed" 1

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. Another image portrayed the president floating in orbit beneath the words "Space Force," surrounded by satellites and seemingly directing missile strikes toward Earth, showcasing themes of space warfare 2

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. The posting spree also targeted political figures and international adversaries, with images of Venezuela and Iran overlaid with the U.S. flag, and several AI-generated images disparaging Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries 1

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Pattern of Controversial Content Continues

This latest episode adds to a growing pattern of controversial content shared by the president on his social media platform. Trump often posts AI-generated images and memes on Truth Social, some of which have stirred significant controversy 1

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. In April, Trump posted and later deleted an AI-generated image of himself apparently depicted as Jesus after religious leaders condemned it as sacrilegious 1

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. In February, he posted an apparent video meme of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama depicted as apes, which received bipartisan pushback that eventually led to the post's deletion 1

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. The May 17 posting spree came after Trump returned from a two-day summit in China, with images of himself standing beside Chinese leader Xi Jinping interspersed among the memes and AI-generated content 1

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. At a White House event with NASA's Artemis II mission crew, Trump teased the UFO file release saying, "I think some of it is going to be very interesting to people," adding that he had "interviewed people" who told him "they saw things you wouldn't believe" 1

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