President Donald Trump spent Tuesday posting about a death he had nothing to do with. First he shared footage of Altai, a 420-pound Amur tiger, mauling 23-year-old William Chapman inside an enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England, and signed it: “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT”
About eight hours later, Trump posted an AI-generated video of himself in Chapman’s place. In the 23-second clip, Trump gets up off the ground in a blue suit and red tie, chases the tiger, wrestles it, and ends up hugging it while “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays.
Chapman, a former child actor, died at the scene on Saturday after entering the enclosure. His family released a statement Tuesday night saying he had dealt with significant mental illness for years, and that sharing the attack footage was causing them severe distress. They asked people to stop doing it.
“This is appallingly tasteless. Delete it, President @realDonaldTrump.”
Piers Morgan, posting on X on Wednesday
Morgan was not alone. Broadcaster Kay Burley posted “This is not OK,” and the Born Free Foundation’s Will Travers called the AI video incredibly insensitive and reckless, saying clips like it can push people to try dangerous contact with captive wild animals.
TRIIP is not reposting the attack footage. The family asked for exactly that, and South Yorkshire Police have asked the public not to share it either. The park stayed closed Wednesday while a health and safety investigation continues into how Chapman got into the enclosure.
As of Wednesday, both of Trump’s posts were still up.
See also: A Man Climbed Into the Tiger Enclosure at a Wildlife Park in England. The Tiger Mauled Him. · The Tiger That Killed a Man at a British Zoo Won’t Be Put Down. The Park Says He’s Fine.