Iran Uses AI Video to Mock Trump's Epstein Ties in Political Attack

Iran’s state media released an AI-generated video depicting former President Donald Trump in Lego-style animation alongside references to Jeffrey Epstein, according to The Independent.¹

The video was disseminated through Iranian state-controlled media channels and uses artificial intelligence to create animated imagery mocking Trump’s connections to the late financier, The Independent reported.¹ The publication characterized the production as “trolling” Trump, suggesting the content was designed to mock or provoke the former president.¹

Video Format and Distribution

The animation utilizes a Lego aesthetic, presenting figures in the blocky, toy-like style associated with the Danish building blocks, according to The Independent’s report.¹ The video specifically targets Trump’s documented relationship with Epstein.¹

The Independent did not provide details about specific claims made within the animation or the video’s length and production quality.¹ Iranian state media outlets published and distributed the video, though the specific channels and reach of the distribution were not detailed in the report.¹

Trump-Epstein History

Trump and Epstein maintained a social relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s. Court documents and photographs from that period show the two attended social events together in Palm Beach and New York.

Trump told New York Magazine in 2002 that Epstein was “a terrific guy” and noted, “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Trump has said the two had a falling out and that he was “not a fan” of Epstein.

In February 2026, Trump told reporters he had “nothing to hide” regarding his past association with Epstein.

Epstein was convicted in 2008 on state charges of soliciting a minor. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial. His former associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking minors and is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.

AI-Generated Propaganda

The video’s use of artificial intelligence to generate animated content represents a tactic that governments and other actors have increasingly employed in information campaigns. The Lego-style aesthetic may be intended to make the political messaging more shareable on social media platforms or to circumvent content moderation systems that flag traditional propaganda formats.

The Independent characterized the video as propaganda targeting a former U.S. president by a foreign government.¹ The timing and specific motivation for the video’s release were not detailed in the report.¹

References

1. The Independent — “Iran trolls Trump with Lego AI-generated propaganda video that mocks his Epstein ties”