WASHINGTON — From handcuffed extra-terrestrials to an orbital missile command centre — US President Donald Trump is unleashing a relentless stream of AI-generated imagery that analysts view as an effort to dominate the attention economy ahead of perilous midterm elections.

Artificial intelligence has transformed Trump’s Truth Social feed into a cascade of memes skewering his political rivals and glorifying himself, with the communications style echoed across his administration.

The attention-grabbing posts come as Trump’s approval ratings slide to new lows ahead of elections in November, in which his Republican Party is seeking to maintain its narrow control of Congress.

Trump is “facing many problems that he has failed to solve,” including an unpopular war with Iran and inflation, Todd Belt, director of the political management program at George Washington University, told AFP.

“So, he’s flooding the information environment with positive images of himself, particularly images that make him look large and in charge.”

For a president facing multiple challenges, Trump has averaged about 20 posts a day on Truth Social this year, researchers say, with many of those posts — sometimes part of late-night tirades — featuring AI-generated imagery.

During one particularly active stretch last weekend, one post showed Trump riding horseback beside George Washington, next to a race car, with the White House in the background.

Another depicted an enlarged image of Trump towering over Greenland beneath the words “Hello, Greenland!”

Trump has raised alarm by repeatedly threatening to take over Denmark’s autonomous territory, saying it is vital for national security.