In March 2025, a false rumor claimed President Trump wanted to rename Washington D.C. to the ‘District of America,’ supported by a fake audio recording. The recording was created using AI, and the user’s account linked to it is now deactivated. This incident exemplifies the need for vigilance regarding misinformation circulating on social media.
In March 2025, a false rumor emerged alleging that U.S. President Donald Trump wished to rename the District of Columbia to the “District of America.” This speculation followed his earlier signing of an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The rumor propagated across various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and X, frequently accompanied by a fabricated audio recording purportedly depicting Trump discussing the name change.
The alleged audio was not authentic; it was artificially generated using an AI tool. Although the voice imitated Trump, subtle differences in tone and speech were evident. The recording suggested Trump expressed frustration with the existing name, claiming it had “nothing to do with Colombia” and proposing the new designation. However, there was no substantiation regarding his desire to rename the district.
The source of the audio, a user on TikTok known as @whmole, has since seen their account deactivated. Prior to deactivation, Snopes confirmed that the user created several videos featuring AI-generated Trump audio clips. Additionally, the same TikTok account was linked to another video which also featured the disputed audio.
Moreover, the unauthorized account bore a watermark on a video that claimed Trump was “caught on a hot mic” discussing the potential renaming of Washington D.C. Claims of Trump’s other alleged remarks, such as comparing his adviser Elon Musk to “Isaac Neutron,” were similarly fabricated, leading to further misinformation circulating widely.
The article outlines how a fraudulent audio recording falsely claimed President Trump wished to rename Washington D.C. to the “District of America.” Despite its dissemination across social media platforms, the audio was proven to be AI-generated and devoid of factual backing. Additionally, the creator of the audio, the @whmole user, has since deactivated their account. This incident highlights the growing concern regarding misinformation in the digital age and underscores the importance of verifying sources before believing and sharing such claims.
Original Source: www.snopes.com
