Fake images of Trump with ‘Nordic aliens’ make the rounds online

In June 2026, images circulated online purportedly showing U.S. President Donald Trump standing next to tall, alien-like figures with white hair and pale skin. Variations of the scene spread across multiple platforms, gaining tens of millions of views (archived).

For example, one Facebook user shared an image with the caption, “Donald Trump caught negotiating with the details concerning releasing the UFO files with the Nordic Aliens.” (Nordic aliens or “Pleiadians” are a fictional extraterrestrial species, known in the conspiratorial alien community for their tall height and Scandinavian features.)

One of the earliest posts, published on X on June 12, 2026, claimed of the alleged photographic evidence: “Posted than immediately removed,” without elaborating further (archived). That X post received more than 15 million views, as of this writing:

The images were fake, created using generative artificial intelligence software. Below, we break down how we came to that conclusion, as well as what’s known about the images’ origins.

Where did the images originate?

It was unknown who first created the scene of Trump and the alien-like figures and shared it on social media.

We reached out to the author of the X post mentioned above, Jon Stewart, since his account was thefirst to post the main image on that platform. He said via text that he pulled the image from a Reddit post that was later removed. (We asked him for the name of the account or subreddit in a follow-up message, and we are waiting for a response.) He said his X post’s caption (“Posted than immediately removed”) referred to the Reddit post.

The earliest version of the main image on Reddit that we could find originated from an account that the platform has since suspended. The post was in the subreddit r/SipsTea, a space for entertainment and memes related to current events. It appeared online approximately 30 minutes before Stewart posted the image on X.

(Reddit user @National_Basket_.)

Snopes viewed the image before the subreddit’s moderator removed it.

Evidence the images aren’t real

The image Stewart and others posted contain multiple signs of AI-generative software, making it clear it’s not a real photograph. For example, the borders between objects in the image — such as one figure’s forehead and the white wall behind it, and Trump’s red tie next to one of the figures’ red jackets — appear blurred. That indicates the AI software did not create strong lines between similar-colored objects. A closer inspection revealed pixels between the objects bleed into each other unnaturally.

Second, there is unnatural or harsh lighting throughout the image. The white wall in the background displays multiple tonal differences, with dark lighting failing to cast a consistent shadow on the figures in the foreground.

Intricate patterns can reveal an AI-generated image’s inauthenticity since the software often gets confused and fails to produce a consistent pattern. In this case, the ornate gold decoration on the two figures’ jackets do not match each other, fading in places and showing irregularities

(Reddit user @National_Basket_.)

Lastly, if a photographer had actually taken a paparazzi-style of image of Trump, reputable news outlets would have reported on it. That was not the case. And given the security staff monitoring the president at all times, it’s unlikely no one would notice a photographer hiding in bushes on the White House grounds. We reached out to the U.S. Secret Service for more context and will update this story if we receive a response.

Another version of the scene (archived) also received online traction. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT and other AI-generative tools, detected its own watermark on that image, which indicated its creator used OpenAI tools to either edit the main image or generate a new version.

(openai.com/research/verify)

A corner of social media theorized the images depicted Nordic royal guards — not aliens — visiting the White House in 2018. There was no truth to this claim either. For one, Norway’s royal guards wear dark uniforms and have short hair. Norway’s king and queen also did not visit the White House on May 15, 2018, as claimed.

Some users ran the images through AI-detection services that determined the images were not AI-generated. At Snopes, we consider the results of such tools as supplemental, not concrete, evidence to help determine an image’s authenticity. As AI-generative software becomes more sophisticated with time, detection services may not keep up with accuracy.

In sum…

It’s unclear who created the AI-generated imagery, though the user who popularized the main image on X said he found it on Reddit before it was deleted.

The images contain multiple visual signs its creator used AI-generative software, including color bleeding, inconsistent patterns and unnatural, harsh lighting.