Debunking the Fake Audio Claim of Trump Renaming DC to ‘District of America’

An alleged audio recording of President Donald Trump proposing to rename Washington, D.C. to the “District of America” is a hoax created using AI. The recording has gained attention on social media, but it lacks authenticity and evidence. The TikTok account @whmole, believed to have created the audio, has been deactivated.

In March 2025, a rumor emerged alleging that U.S. President Donald Trump intended to rename the District of Columbia to the “District of America.” This speculation arose shortly after he signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Social media platforms such as Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and X saw users sharing a supposed audio recording of Trump advocating for this name change.

The audio recording, however, was fabricated using artificial intelligence and did not authentically represent Trump. The voice mimicked Trump’s speech but exhibited notable differences in tone and inflection. This fake recording suggested that Trump confused “Columbia” in “District of Columbia” with the South American country of Colombia, stating, “No more Washington, D.C. I hate it. It makes no sense. They call it the District of Columbia. It’s got nothing to do with Colombia. It’s nowhere near Colombia. From now on, it will be Washington, D.A., District of America. No more of this Columbia nonsense.”

An account identified as @whmole on TikTok is believed to be the origin of this audio. As of March 14, 2025, the account was found to be deactivated, and inquiries made to TikTok regarding the status of the account revealed that they were investigating the matter. Prior to its removal, Snopes had verified this account as the source of multiple AI-generated audio clips portraying Trump.

Furthermore, an additional TikTok video associated with the alleged audio also included a watermark identifying @whmole, substantiating its role as the maker of the recording. This video claimed to feature Trump caught on a hot mic discussing the renaming initiative. Other similar recordings attributed to the same account illustrate additional fictitious dialogues involving Trump.

In summary, the purported audio of President Trump advocating for renaming Washington, D.C. is a fabrication generated by artificial intelligence. Although the rumor gained traction on various social media platforms, there is no credible evidence supporting the claim that Trump wished to implement such a change. The originator of the fake recording, the TikTok account @whmole, was subsequently deactivated. Consequently, users should remain cautious regarding the authenticity of audio clips disseminated online, particularly those involving prominent figures.

Original Source: www.snopes.com