Eric Trump: Viral UFC DMs are AI-generated fakes

Screenshots circulating online showed an Instagram-style chat in which a user appearing to be Eric Trump asked UFC commentator Daniel Cormier about injuries, wagering and whether any bouts on the White House lawn were fixed. Cormier’s reply in the screenshots said he cannot bet and that nothing was fixed. Cormier posted the messages and removed them within minutes; no platform data has been provided to verify the exchange.

The screenshots reference UFC Freedom 250, an event held on the White House South Lawn on June 14 during a ceremony tied to the country’s 250th anniversary and the president’s 80th birthday. The fight named in the screenshots was real: Diego Lopes opened the card and stopped Steve Garcia by second-round knockout.

On X, Eric Trump tagged the UFC and Dana White and wrote, “We are aware of the fake, AI generated screenshots being circulated online. I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.” He also denied the conversation in comments to reporters. A Trump Organization communications director called the images fabricated.

Some observers say deletion does not prove fabrication. An MMA writer reported seeing Cormier’s post live before it was removed, and an online community note argued that removing a post does not by itself show the messages were inauthentic. The UFC has not issued a public comment.

The episode comes as synthetic content has become more common online. Firms tracking fraud reported deepfake-related crypto scams caused more than $200 million in losses in the first quarter of 2025. The exchange also overlaps with concerns about wagering on real-world events: a trader on a prediction market recently recorded nearly $1 million in gains on bets tied to Google search results, and some platforms have tightened rules on insider activity after unusual payouts.

No independent forensic evidence has been released to confirm whether the screenshots are genuine direct messages, altered images or AI-generated fabrications. With the original post deleted and both sides offering conflicting accounts, the authenticity of the exchange remains unresolved while investigators and platform moderators could review underlying data.