Hoax – One of the largest Baptist churches in Alabama has announced plans to erect a 120-foot statue of Donald Trump on its campus as a symbol of gratitude.
Analysis
Recently, a curious narrative began to gain momentum on social media, describing what would be a monumental project on American soil. According to the report, a prominent religious congregation in the state of Alabama had decided to honor former President Donald Trump with a 120-foot tall statue, positioned in a way that resembles famous religious monuments. The text even details the existence of a souvenir shop and an observation platform at the site.
The story describes that the initiative would be funded by donations from the faithful, moved by a sense of “patriotic generosity.” Between justifications about the use of concrete instead of gold and defenses of the “respectful” nature of the tribute, the message spread quickly, raising debates about the boundaries between faith and politics. Below, you can check the content that is circulating:
One of the largest Baptist churches in Alabama has announced plans to erect a 120-foot statue of Donald Trump on its campus. The monument, according to its leaders, will be a “symbol of gratitude for what God has done for the United States under his leadership.” The statue will face the campus in a pose that clearly resembles a famous religious landmark. When questioned about the similarity, church board members were quick to clarify: “That statue in South America represents an idol; this is just a respectful tribute to the greatest leader in world history, who happened to be chosen by God.”
The project includes an observation platform at the base of the monument, a souvenir shop selling commemorative hats and mugs with religious messages, as well as night lighting so the statue can be seen for miles. The senior pastor guaranteed that the goal is not to replace the worship of God, but to “encourage gratitude to God, patriotism, and… an occasional selfie.” The work will begin as soon as donations are collected, something that, according to the organizers, should not take long, as “patriotic generosity is practically a spiritual gift around here.”
And for those who dare suggest that this looks like the biblical episode of the golden calf or Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in Babylon, the leaders already have a ready answer: the comparison would be unfair, after all, the statue will be made of reinforced concrete, not gold. Sometimes idolatry doesn’t need gold to happen. It just needs religion mixed with power, nationalism, and the conviction that God has an “anointed” politician. P.S. According to social media AI fact-checking, the news would be satire. Still, it serves as a warning to all who idolize politicians who pose as messengers from God.
Fact Check
Given the repercussion of the case, we decided to investigate the facts to understand if there really is a religious construction site for the former president. To do this, we will answer the following points: 1) Is the Alabama Baptist Church going to erect a 120-foot statue of Trump? 2) How was the image showing such a statue of Trump at the Baptist Church created? 3) Are there similar fake news stories?
Is the Alabama Baptist Church going to erect a 120-foot statue of Trump?
There is no official record, announcement on Alabama church websites, or report in local and international media outlets that confirms this project. In reality, the story circulating on the internet claiming that an evangelical church in Alabama created a 120-foot Trump statue is untrue. Although the state is a strong base of support for the politician, the construction of a monument of this magnitude on a religious campus was nothing more than fictional content that spread without proper context.
How was the image showing such a statue of Trump at the Baptist Church created?
The image accompanying these publications is, in reality, a digital creation. Generative artificial intelligence tools have been widely used to create hyper-realistic scenarios of this type. It is worth noting that the image initially circulated in digital communities as a form of criticism or satire of political-religious fervor. Although some real statues of Trump have already been installed in satirical or protest tones — such as the one that appeared near the White House or monuments in other parts of the US — there is no 120-foot work funded by Baptists in Alabama.
Are there similar fake news stories?
Yes, the use of monuments and sculptures to create misinformation is a common resource in the world of fake news. We have already debunked cases involving alleged sculptures of world leaders on beaches, as well as stories about statues with deep messages in Japan or even religious conflicts involving monuments. In all these cases, out-of-context or computer-generated images were used to validate ideological narratives.
Conclusion
The report about the construction of a giant statue of Donald Trump by a church in Alabama is the result of a satirical piece that ended up being shared as if it were a real fact. There are no projects, permits, or works in progress that confirm the story, which is based only on artificially generated images and a narrative without a factual basis.
Fake news ❌