Donald Trump praised Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for the country’s “remarkable achievements,” including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Ogaden LNG project.
Verdict: ❌
False/AI Generated The video circulating online is AI-generated using old footage from 2020. Trump never made such remarks about Ethiopia or Abiy Ahmed.
The Viral Claim
In early October 2025, a short video began circulating widely across Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram among Ethiopian audiences. The clip showed former U.S. President Donald Trump speaking at a podium, with a voice imitating his tone saying: “Congratulations for Ethiopia peoples. Abiy is a leader who not only lays the foundation stone but also executes what is planned.” The post, written in Amharic, claimed that Trump had publicly praised Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Ethiopian people for their “remarkable progress” in national development.
The 46-second clip used a split-screen format Trump speaking on one side, an unidentified man reacting on the other, and Abiy Ahmed’s image placed in the corner. It quickly went viral, garnering thousands of shares and reactions across Ethiopian social media pages celebrating what appeared to be U.S. recognition of Ethiopia’s national achievements.
However, upon investigation by CyberPoe X, it became clear that this video was not genuine. It was an AI-manipulated deepfake, blending real footage from 2020 with an artificially generated voice to make it seem as if Trump was congratulating Ethiopia.
The Real Origin of the Footage
The original video used in this deepfake comes from a 2020 White House press conference, long before the events it supposedly addresses. The footage was taken from a briefing where Donald Trump discussed Covid-19 vaccine distribution in the United States a topic unrelated to Ethiopia or Abiy Ahmed.
Visual analysis confirms that the background, podium, lighting, and camera angles perfectly match this 2020 appearance. The supposed 2025 clip shows no signs of new production or updated visuals. It is simply an old video re-edited with new audio to fabricate a political message.
When carefully examined frame by frame, the video also displays small inconsistencies particularly around lip movement and timing that indicate artificial manipulation. Trump’s mouth often continues to move after the dubbed voice stops, and his facial expressions do not match the tone of the audio. These are classic indicators of AI-driven editing, where synthetic speech is layered over authentic video.
Signs of AI Manipulation
The fabricated audio in the viral video contains several unnatural patterns. For example, phrases like “Congratulations for Ethiopia peoples” are grammatically awkward and inconsistent with Trump’s normal speaking style. His authentic speeches are typically filled with short, colloquial sentences and distinct catchphrases. In contrast, the AI-generated voice uses rigid, robotic sentence structures, betraying its artificial nature.
Sound engineers also noted that the audio lacks natural background acoustics typically present in real press briefings. The voice tone remains unusually consistent in pitch and speed another hallmark of AI synthesis.
The manipulated clip was likely created using freely available deepfake tools that combine lip-sync algorithms with voice cloning. These tools allow users to overlay synthetic speech onto real footage, creating a convincing but false impression of authenticity.
Ethiopia’s Real Achievements in 2025
While the video is false, Ethiopia’s actual development milestones in 2025 are real and noteworthy and may explain why such misinformation spread so quickly.
In September 2025, Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Africa’s largest hydroelectric project which now produces 5,150 megawatts of electricity, significantly boosting the nation’s energy independence. Only a few weeks later, in October 2025, the government launched the Ogaden LNG Refinery, a major energy infrastructure project expected to produce over 111 million liters annually.
These accomplishments have stirred widespread national pride and global attention. However, this same patriotic momentum made it easy for fabricated “foreign endorsements” to spread unchecked. By inserting a well-known global figure like Donald Trump into the narrative, disinformation actors amplified engagement and credibility, turning an AI fake into a viral celebration.
Why the Deepfake Matters
This false video is not just a harmless online prank it represents a deeper and more dangerous trend in the era of artificial intelligence. AI-generated deepfakes are increasingly being used to manipulate political narratives, create false endorsements, and spread misinformation that exploits public emotion.
In this case, the deepfake attempted to connect Ethiopia’s genuine progress with imagined Western approval, subtly reinforcing nationalist sentiment. Such content can distort public understanding of international relations, mislead citizens, and weaken trust in verified news sources.
AI-generated disinformation also poses long-term challenges for digital ecosystems like Ethiopia’s, where rapid internet growth has outpaced media literacy. As deepfake technology becomes more sophisticated and accessible, fact-checking organizations face greater pressure to detect and counter false narratives before they go viral.
CyberPoe X Conclusion
After thorough investigation, CyberPoe X confirms that the viral video of Donald Trump praising Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is entirely fabricated. The visuals are taken from a 2020 White House press briefing, while the audio has been synthetically generated using AI voice cloning tools. There is no evidence or record of Trump making any statement about Ethiopia’s leadership, GERD, or the Ogaden project.
This case highlights the urgent need for stronger media literacy and responsible sharing practices. As AI deepfakes become more convincing, the public must develop the habit of verifying content origins before believing or spreading it.
Ethiopia’s recent achievements deserve genuine recognition not manipulated validation from synthetic voices. The spread of such falsehoods only undermines real progress and distracts from the remarkable work being done within the country.
In the digital age, truth itself requires defense. As this case shows, CyberPoe X remains on the frontline, exposing misinformation, tracing its roots, and restoring factual clarity.
CyberPoe X | The Anti-Propaganda Frontline
