Is that AI or Donald Trump in real? The internet reacts to rooftop chaos

On August 5, 2025, President Donald Trump skipped the briefing room entirely, and strolled onto the White House roof above the West Wing. Accompanied by Secret Service agents and architect James McCrery, he spent roughly 20 minutes inspecting the grounds from above.

Reporters, sharply positioned on the lawn, asked questions that Trump answered with signature one-liners and hand gestures.

“Sir, why are you on the roof?”

“Taking a little walk,” Trump shouted back to a reporter who asked him why he is on the roof. “It’s good for your health.”He also said he was looking at “another way to spend my money for this country.” Later, near the end of his appearance on the roof, Trump was asked what he was going to build. He quipped, “Nuclear missiles.”

The “just a little walk” line—and what it really means

When asked why he was up there, Trump quipped: “Just taking a little walk... it’s good for your health.” He later described the exercise as a scouting tour for potential projects tied to an upcoming $200 million East Wing ballroom renovation, funded, he emphasized, personally and by "patriot donors". That official spin aside, the stunt mirrors his penchant for flamboyant showmanship and obsession with personal legacy.

“Nuclear missiles”: Joking or gaslighting?

Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising moment came when Trump playfully told reporters he was planning to build “nuclear missiles” on the roof—while making a launch gesture toward the sky. The tone was light, but the subtext wasn’t subtle: mock the media, confuse the public, and then move on. A disregard for decorum masquerading as brute humor.

Renovation obsession or distraction tactic?

This rooftop photo op coincides with sweeping changes to the White House complex: the newly paved-over Rose Garden, enormous flagpoles, and the impending East Wing ballroom project.

Critics argue this spectacle may simply be a distraction from bigger political stories, by drawing headlines to Trump's personal building spree instead of controversies unfolding elsewhere.

Legacy building or self-indulgence?

Architect James McCrery, seen walking with Trump, is the lead on the massive ballroom project slated to replace much of the East Wing. Trump’s wander atop the briefing room roof may simply be part of site assessment. But in his hands, even mundane architectural surveying becomes a PR spectacle.

But, what about the gestures?

Well, the internet, as it always is, could not contain the excitement. Memes started flooding in. Some wrote, "Wtf? Is that real?". Few others who found it unbelievable said, it is AI generated. "They'd think he was a hired clown. Oh wait, he is," one user wrote.This rooftop detour was silly theatre masquerading as architecture. Trump’s walk and casual declaration of building “nuclear missiles”, was less about actual planning and more about commanding the spotlight. Whether he was scoping out the next big addition, or simply stirring confusion he made sure cameras, microphones, and headlines captured every gesture.In the end, it might not matter what was really going on up there. The stunt alone achieves its goal: keep us guessing and talking about Trump, on his terms.