Trump shares bizarre AI-generated image of himself lounging in Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool with Cabinet members

May 2, 2026

President Donald Trump launched a bizarre late-night burst of AI-generated photos Friday on Truth Social, including one depiction of him and members of his Cabinet shirtless and lounging in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

In one captionless post shared at 11:03 p.m. local time, Trump, 79, is shown smiling and giving a thumbs-up while reclining on a golden inflatable lounger in the historic pool on the National Mall.

Vice President JD Vance, 41, appears beside him, also giving a thumbs-up, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 54, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, 69. An unidentified woman, possibly AI-generated, also appears in the scene, floating nearby in sunglasses and a blue-and-white gingham bikini.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is currently undergoing an accelerated beautification project ordered by Trump and overseen by Burgum. The $1.5 million project aims to fix leaks in the pool’s aging granite foundation by applying a new “American flag blue” industrial-grade coating that will also seal and repair the structure.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump posted this AI-generated image Friday night, showing him alongside JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Doug Burgum, as well as a possibly AI-generated woman, floating in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
President Donald Trump posted this AI-generated image Friday night, showing him alongside JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Doug Burgum, as well as a possibly AI-generated woman, floating in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

In the same late-night burst of activity, Trump posted additional images of the Reflecting Pool, including one suggesting it was in poor condition during Barack Obama’s presidency, as well as two renderings showing how it is expected to look once the renovation project is completed.

Trump previously criticized the previous administration for the state of the landmark, pledging that the site would be fully restored for the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4.

“Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and I are working on fixing the absolutely filthy Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This work was supposed to be done by the Biden Administration, but Sleepy Joe doesn’t know what ‘CLEAN’ or proper maintenance is — The President and Secretary do!”

But not everyone seems to be on board with the changes. On Friday, the Reflecting Pool site was vandalized with a large graffiti featuring the numbers “86 47” spray-painted on it.

The number “86,” commonly used in the service industry to mean removing an item, has been interpreted by some Republicans as a coded threat against Trump. The controversy comes amid the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, tied to a social media post from last year in which he shared an image of seashells arranged to spell “8647,” which authorities say was viewed as a threatening message toward Trump.

The site was secured and covered while cleanup was arranged, a spokesperson for the U.S. Park Police told the Washington Examiner. An investigation is still ongoing.