Fact Check: Viral Video Claiming Trump Banned Tesla Is a Deepfake

ByFactcheck India

June 18, 2025

Viral deepfake video falsely shows President Trump announcing a Tesla ban – FactCheck USA confirms it is AI-generated

Claim:

A viral video shows U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a ban on Tesla production in the United States, allegedly in retaliation against Elon Musk’s remarks on the Epstein files.

Verdict: False

The viral video is a deepfake.
The authentic White House video contains no such statement.
Multiple AI detection tools and expert analysis confirm the video is manipulated.

What’s Going Viral?

A video circulating on social media, especially Instagram, shows President Donald Trump announcing a nationwide ban on Tesla cars. In the clip, Trump can allegedly be heard saying:

“Today I am here to announce that I will be banning the production of all Teslas in the United States of America effective immediately. As everyone knows, Elon stabbed me in the back a couple of days ago and went crazy on his platform, X, lying about my involvement in the Epstein files… Nobody likes Teslas anyway…”

The video was posted by the Instagram user @eietv1 on June 9, 2025, and quickly went viral. Many viewers in the comments seemed convinced, while others raised suspicion about its authenticity.

Factcheck India Investigation Says:

Step 1: No Official Statement or News Reports

A keyword search for Trump banning Tesla yielded no credible news sources or official government press releases. Given the nature of the claim, such an announcement would have made global headlines — which it hasn’t.

Step 2: Deepfake Detection Tools

To verify if the video was AI-generated, we used three industry-grade tools in partnership with the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA) and its Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU):

Hive AI Deepfake Detector: Detected multiple facial frames of Trump as “yes_deepfake.”
Hive AI Audio Classifier: Detected AI-generated voice throughout most of the clip.
Deepfake-o-meter: Four different detectors scored the audio as highly likely to be fake.

Expert Verification

Azahar Machwe, an AI expert in synthetic media, reviewed the video and confirmed visible artifacts, unnatural mouth movements, and audio mismatches — all common signs of AI-generated manipulation.

Step 3: Tracing the Original Footage

A reverse image search of keyframes led us to the original video from the White House’s official YouTube channel, dated May 30, 2025. The viral clip is a mirrored and doctored version of this original. In the authentic footage, Trump never mentions Tesla, Elon Musk, or any production ban.

Context: Trump vs Musk Feud

Although the video is fake, it’s worth noting that tensions between Trump and Elon Musk have recently escalated. In early June 2025, Musk made public allegations against Trump regarding the Epstein files on his platform X (formerly Twitter). Trump responded by threatening to cut off federal contracts with Musk’s companies. However, no formal policy changes or bans have been implemented.

Who Shared the Fake Video?

The Instagram account @eietv1, which posted the video, has just over 1,000 followers. Its bio describes it as a source for “breaking truth,” but it has previously shared unverified and provocative content.

Conclusion:

The viral video showing Donald Trump banning Tesla production is a deepfake.

It is not authentic.
It has been manipulated using AI tools.
There is no official record of such a ban.
The original White House video contains no such statement.

Final Takeaway:

Always verify before you share. With deepfakes and AI-generated content becoming more convincing, it’s essential to trust only verified sources and avoid spreading misinformation.