Is this a real video of President Donald Trump kissing Nicki Minaj? No, that's not true: The black-and-white "security camera" footage purporting to show them kissing exhibits clear signs of AI manipulation, including unnatural facial blending where their faces appear to partially merge and separate, inconsistent lighting, and the absence of a verifiable source. An AI detection tool rated the video highly probably that it's the product of generative AI. The video was posted by a "commentary" account named for the late John F. Kennedy, Jr.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on Feb. 17, 2026. The text in the post read:
The Attorney General is filled with regret, having failed to properly oversee the release of the Epstein documents and inadvertently released this video as well!
This is what the post looked like at the time of writing:
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of X)
The earliest version of the video Lead Stories found was published in a post (archived here) on TikTok on Jan. 30, 2026. The clip found in the X post can be found in the first three or four seconds of this video:
@fcnws0 🌟🏛️💎 أسرار البيت الأبيض: نجمة وردية وعلاقة سرية 💌👀
♬ الصوت الأصلي - أبن شنقيط TV🇲🇷
Trump and Minaj do know each other and she has said, "I am probably the president's number one fan and that's not going to change." Minaj attended a Washington summit (archived here) on Jan. 28, 2026, in suport of the to soon-to-be-opened Trump Accounts, federal savings accounts for children born from January 2025 through the end of 2028. She pledged up to $300,000 to help fund her fans' accounts.
Also, a Google search (archived here) found no evidence of Trump and Minaj dating or in a relationship.
In the first five seconds of the video on X, their faces briefly and partially merge together before separating. There is also very little definition in the man's face (red circle) before his features become clearer a short time later (yellow circle). The pattern repeats as the video loops.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshots of X)
Lead Stories also ran the video through Gemini, Google's AI assistant. It came up with these conclusions (archived here):
A close look at the video reveals several 'hallucinations' and inconsistencies typical of AI-generated media (often called 'deepfakes'):
Facial Morphing: The faces of the individuals (resembling Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian) appear to blend or 'melt' into one another during the kiss, and their features distort as they move.
Unnatural Physics: The movement of the clothing and the way the bodies interact with the wall and each other lack the natural weight and physics of a real recording.
Video Quality: The low-resolution, grainy 'security camera' style is a common technique used to mask the imperfections of AI generation.
Context and Origin
There is no credible news report or evidence that such an encounter took place. High-profile figures like those depicted are frequently the subjects of deepfake videos designed to go viral. Similar AI-generated videos featuring political figures and celebrities have been widely debunked in the past.
Given the visual glitches and the lack of any verified source, it is highly probable that this video is an AI-generated fake.
