Jack White Blasts Congressman for Sharing AI Video of the Singer Calling Trump Supporters ‘Fascists’: ‘It’s Sad How Embarrassing Our Leadership Has Become’

Rock legend Jack White has issued a scathing public rebuke of Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett after the lawmaker shared a fabricated AI video. The manipulated clip, reposted by Burchett, featured a deepfake of White telling Trump supporters not to listen to his music and calling them "fascists." Burchett compounded the post with a personal insult, mocking White's appearance by comparing him to a character from "The Addams Family." When a commenter pointed out the video was artificial intelligence, Burchett's flippant reply—focusing on the joke rather than the forgery—seemed to dismiss the ethical implications entirely.

In a forceful Instagram response, White condemned the congressman's actions. The Detroit-born musician, renowned for his work with The White Stripes and his vocal criticism of the music industry, labeled Burchett and his cohorts "cowards" and "bootlicks" engaged in "cheap, childish, grade school bullying." He directly linked this behavior to the influence of Donald Trump, stating, "Trump really lowered the bar when he brought his scourge to this government. Neither him nor his sycophantic congressmen and women manifest class or dignity." This incident highlights growing concerns among cybersecurity professionals about the electoral dangers of deepfakes, which can be weaponized to create false endorsements or damage reputations with minimal technical skill.

White's critique broadened into a lament about America's global reputation. He expressed a wish that conservative voters could understand international perceptions, writing, "I so wish the average American conservative could have a conversation with any intelligent people in other countries around the world... and actually see just what a joke our government (and by proxy our country) has become." He concluded by telling Burchett, "The great state of Tennessee deserves better... but you and your cult are too dug in and blinded to even realize it."

While the AI video contained a fabricated quote, White's political views are well-documented. He has previously called Trump a danger to the world, and in a concrete legal action, he and former bandmate Meg White filed a September 2024 lawsuit against the former president. The suit alleges "flagrant misappropriation" for the Trump campaign's unauthorized use of The White Stripes' iconic anthem "Seven Nation Army." This places White within a long lineage of artists protecting their work; for instance, Tom Petty's estate secured a cease-and-desist against the George W. Bush campaign in 2000, and Rihanna similarly challenged Trump in 2020. Such cases underscore the persistent conflict between political campaigns and artists' intellectual property rights.

The confrontation also raises questions about the responsibilities of public officials in the AI era. Experts like Dr. Elena Rossi, a digital ethics professor at Stanford, warn that lawmakers sharing deepfakes, even in jest, normalizes a dangerous tool. "When elected officials treat synthetic media as a partisan toy," she notes, "they erode public trust in all digital content and implicitly endorse tactics that undermine informed democracy." This incident suggests that the challenge of AI-generated disinformation is not merely technological but profoundly political.