Image supposedly showing Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein on private jet isn’t real

An image supposedly showing President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein seated next to each other on a private jet has been recirculating online.

But as other fact checkers have explained before, the image isn’t real and was likely created using artificial intelligence (AI).

A major clue that this picture isn’t real is that Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, appears to have three legs.

The picture has been online since at least May 2023. Older and higher resolution versions of the image have an odd gloss or sheen to them, which is a telltale sign something is AI.

These older versions also appear to have a warped face in the background behind President Trump’s left shoulder, although this is harder to see in the newer versions circulating online, which may have been put through a filter to give the image an older and more authentic-looking quality.

James O’Brien, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, told Full Fact he believes the most likely case is that “the high-res image is an AI fake and the other image was made by taking the AI fake and making it look old to hide the give-aways”.

He said: “Epstein’s legs don’t make sense, unless he was wearing some sort of pants-skirt. (I don’t think it could be a red blanket because there is a crease and wrinkles consistent with a pants leg on his left leg.)”

He added: “I also think the seats don’t look right: Trump has a big padded cushion going under his legs on the right of the image, but on the left of the image it looks like Epstein is sitting on a box.” Although Mr O’Brien acknowledged “it’s possible that this plane configuration actually looks like that for some reason”.

He highlighted some of the more easily seen giveaways that the image is likely AI, including that “parts of the image are overly smoothed compared to others, the reflections in the table are inconsistent with the reflected objects, and the circular recesses in the overhead don’t appear to have any clear function”.

The image is recirculating after the US Department of Justice and FBI concluded that there was no evidence Epstein kept a “client list” and confirmed his death by suicide.

While campaigning last year, President Trump promised to release files relating to the disgraced financier. Some of the president’s supporters have since grown frustrated with his administration’s handling of the case.

Although this image of the two seated next to each other on a private jet is fake, there are real photographs and video footage of President Trump and Epstein together.

It’s important to consider whether something is genuine before sharing. Our guides to spotting AI images and videos can help you to do this.