Author Michael Wolf argues that Donald Trump’s AI-generated memes are part of a deliberate social media strategy involving people outside the White House, describing the operation as “sort of a squad of guys in their basement” encouraged by Trump’s political team.
Wolf made a claim Inside Trump’s headpodcast he co-hosts with Joanna Coles in an episode published on September 9th. He said the operation was not led directly by the White House, but involved people in Trump’s broader political circle who create or provide content for the president’s Truth Social account.
“It’s not the White House doing this. This is being done by sort of a group of guys in their basement that the Trump team has encouraged, sometimes provided resources, sometimes financial resources,” Wolf said.
Wolff did not name the official organization, provide a documented chain of command, or identify who was allegedly receiving financial support. His account has not been independently verified.
Wolf describes Trump’s alleged meme operation
Wolf described Trump’s meme operation as “very clearly designed,” arguing that the central question is what should be posted as the president on Truth Social.
He said the material could come from various people around Trump before it reaches the president, and suggested Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino could be among those providing the content. Wolf also said that anyone in Trump’s circle could send Trump video or other material.
The strategy, Wolff said, is not necessarily designed to persuade undecided voters. Instead, he said, it attracts attention, provokes opponents and keeps Trump at the center of the political conversation.
Wolf pointed to Trump’s 2024 Republican primary battle against Ron DeSantis as evidence that the approach could work. He said the stream of ridicule helped solidify Trump’s position as the dominant candidate while turning DeSantis into a target of ridicule.
He also argued that the irreverent format could destroy the “self-seriousness” of political culture and make Trump’s communications more immediate.
Trump’s messages about artificial intelligence cause strong reactions on social networks
The comments come as Trump continues to use AI-generated images in his public messages.
On April 12, Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself as Jesus. Following criticism, he said he believed the image was intended to portray him as a doctor.
The president returned to images of artificial intelligence over the Labor Day weekend in the US. On Sunday, September 6, he published a series of posts lasting more than 10 hours, including artificial intelligence-generated images showing dystopian and military-themed scenes, robots and an image with the caption “THE MOON IS OURS.” Contemporary reports describe a spike of 37 posts.
The White House also joined the photo blitz. On September 6, an AI-generated video featuring Trump as the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern was released, 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 September 6.
Other posts from the same period depicted Trump in film- and military-inspired imagery, adding to the flow of highly stylized visual political messages.
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 messages. Separate reports also indicate that Natalie Harp played a role in Trump’s social media handling.
This is not independent confirmation of Wolf’s more specific claim about a separate “squad” of meme creators receiving resources or financial support from Trump’s political operation.
Wolf’s comments remain the report of a political writer and not the result of an official investigation or publicly documented organizational structure. His references to Harp and Scavino also do not prove that any of the aides are part of or receive money from the alleged outgroup.
This distinction is important because determining who creates individual images, who funds their production, and who approves them before publication will require evidence beyond the scope of the podcast discussion.
Wolf’s claims remain unverified
The available evidence supports a narrower conclusion: Trump’s AI-powered social media content is being used as a targeted form of political communication, but the exact people behind individual memes, their funding mechanisms, and the workflow described by Wolf remain unclear.
This uncertainty is central to the story. Wolf gave a startling description of the people he said help create online images of Trump, but public evidence does not currently establish the full structure or funding of the alleged operation.