The President of the United States, Donald Trump, published a video generated with artificial intelligence early Wednesday morning, in which he is seen chasing, tackling, and embracing a tiger. The images bear similarities to the attack suffered by William Chapman, a 23-year-old who died on October 10 after entering the enclosure of a Siberian tiger at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England.
Hours earlier, Trump had shared on Truth Social the actual images of the deadly attack with the phrase "Never mess with nature!", signed as "President DJT."
The subsequent publication of the AI-generated video, in which Trump appears alongside the animal, sparked criticism for its seemingly mocking tone in light of the tragedy. The clip, lasting approximately 23 seconds, shows Trump mimicking the pointing gesture made by Chapman during the attack, but in his version, the president defeats the animal and ends up embracing it, while the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" plays in the background.
The White House did not provide explanations about the video and referred to Trump's posts on Truth Social.
The young man's family requested in a statement released on Tuesday that the content related to the attack cease circulating, describing its publication as "deeply offensive" and explaining that it was causing them immense suffering. They also asked for their privacy to be respected. Furthermore, they revealed that he suffered from a major mental illness, although they requested that the coroner's investigation determine what role this circumstance may have played in his death.
Criticism came from various sectors. Commentator Harry Sisson posted the video on X with the message, "Trump actually posted this AI video with a tiger in the middle of the night. This man is insane and mentally ill," a post that garnered over 1.8 million views.
Journalist Piers Morgan described the video as "in very bad taste" and demanded its removal. The account Rapid Response 47, linked to the White House and with over 2.3 million followers, also shared real footage of the deadly attack, which sparked criticism on social media
Chapman had jumped from a high observation walkway into the enclosure of Altai, a five-year-old Siberian tiger weighing about 190 kilograms. Witnesses reported that the young man was wearing headphones, approached the animal, and lay down in front of it before being attacked.
A woman tried to stop him unsuccessfully. According to witnesses, the park rangers fired shots into the air in an attempt to distract the tiger, but Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The tiger video adds to a recurring pattern of Trump posting AI-generated content, often in the early hours and with a provocative tone.
In September, the White House released an AI video depicting the president as the superhero Green Lantern, a clip that exceeded 19 million views. Earlier, in May, the enigmatic clip titled Fire. Boom. circulated, and in February 2025, he utilized AI-generated images to illustrate his plan for Gaza.
The forensic investigation into Chapman's death is scheduled to begin this Thursday, with the Yorkshire Wildlife Park still closed since the day of the incident.
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