Eric Trump calls UFC rigging screenshots AI fakes
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- Eric Trump, 42, said screenshots of an alleged conversation with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier asking if any fights at a White House event would be 'rigged' were 'AI-generated' and fabricated.
- The viral screenshots showed an account claiming to be Trump inquiring whether fighters on the card were injured and whether fights would be 'rigged' ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.
- Daniel Cormier initially shared the screenshots on X, writing he 'refuse[d] to stay silent,' but later appeared to confirm they were fake, replying 'are people this dumb?' and deleting his post.
- The alleged exchange came hours before the unprecedented UFC Freedom 250 card on the White House South Lawn, held on President Donald Trump's 80th birthday to mark 250 years of American independence.
- Eric Trump, executive vice-president of his father's administration, attended the event in Washington DC, while Cormier — a former UFC light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion — provided commentary throughout.
- BBC Sport has asked the UFC for comment on the matter.
Why it matters: The episode shows how AI-generated fakes can spread through high-profile accounts: Cormier, a former UFC champion, treated the screenshots as credible enough to publicly condemn, then deleted his post and called followers 'dumb' for believing them. The denial unfolded on the eve of an unprecedented White House fight card staged for the president's 80th birthday.
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