Viral Trump AI Posts Are Created by a 'Squad of Guys in Their Basement', Author Michael Wolff Claims

Author Michael Wolff claims Donald Trump's AI-generated memes are part of a deliberately developed social-media strategy involving people outside the White House, describing the operation as a 'kind of squad of guys in their basement' encouraged by Trump's political team.

Wolff made the claim on Inside Trump's Head, the podcast he co-hosts with Joanna Coles, in an episode published on 9 September. He said the operation was not run directly by the White House, but involved people in Trump's wider political circle who create or provide material for the president's Truth Social account.

'This is not done by the White House. This is done by a kind of squad of guys in their basement who the Trump team encouraged, sometimes gave resources, sometimes financial resources to,' Wolff said.

Wolff did not identify a formal organisation, provide a documented chain of command or establish who allegedly receives financial support. His account has not been independently verified.

Wolff Describes Trump's Alleged Meme Operation

Wolff described Trump's meme operation as 'very precisely developed', arguing that the central question is what should be posted in the president's name on Truth Social.

He said material could come from different people around Trump before reaching the president, and suggested Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino might be among those who provide content. Wolff also said anyone in Trump's circle could send Trump a video or other material.

The strategy, Wolff argued, is not necessarily designed to persuade undecided voters. Instead, he said it generates attention, provokes opponents and keeps Trump at the centre of political conversation.

Wolff pointed to Trump's 2024 Republican primary battle against Ron DeSantis as evidence that the approach can work. He said the stream of mocking material helped reinforce Trump's position as the dominant candidate while turning DeSantis into a target of ridicule.

He also argued that the irreverent format can break down the 'self-seriousness' of political culture and make Trump's communication more immediate.

Trump's AI Posts Fuel a Social-Media Blitz

The comments come as Trump has continued using AI-generated imagery as part of his public messaging.

On 12 April, Trump posted an AI-generated image that appeared to portray him as Jesus. After criticism, he said he believed the image was intended to depict him as a doctor.

The president returned to AI imagery during the US Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, 6 September, he published a series of posts over more than 10 hours, including AI-generated images featuring dystopian and military-style scenes, robots and an image declaring 'THE MOON IS OURS'. Contemporary reporting described the burst as comprising 37 posts.

The White House also joined the imagery blitz. On 6 September, it released an AI-generated video depicting Trump as DC Comics superhero Green Lantern, showing him using the character's fictional powers to build a border wall and promote American manufacturing. The White House's own website dates the video to 6 September.

Other posts from the same period depicted Trump in imagery inspired by films and military themes, adding to the stream of highly stylised visual political messaging.

What Is Known About the 'Basement' Team

There is clear evidence that Trump and White House accounts have repeatedly used AI-generated images and videos as political messaging. Separate reporting has also identified Natalie Harp as playing a role in handling Trump's social-media output.

That does not independently establish Wolff's more specific claim about a separate 'squad' of meme makers receiving resources or financial support from Trump's political operation.

Wolff's comments remain an account from a political author rather than a finding from an official investigation or publicly documented organisational structure. His references to Harp and Scavino also do not establish that either aide is part of the alleged outside group or receives money from it.

The distinction matters because identifying who creates individual images, who funds their production and who approves them before publication would require evidence beyond the podcast discussion.

Wolff's Claims Remain Unverified

The available evidence supports a narrower conclusion: Trump's AI-heavy social-media output is being used as a deliberate form of political communication, but the precise people behind individual memes, their funding arrangements and the workflow described by Wolff remain unclear.

That uncertainty is central to the story. Wolff has offered a striking description of the people he says are helping produce Trump's online imagery, but the public evidence currently does not establish the full structure or funding of the alleged operation.