Ethan Carter
On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump held an extravagant state dinner in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event attracted numerous prominent figures from the U.S., including tech giants like Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, all of whom were present to engage with the high-profile gathering.
One particular image from the dinner has become the focus of widespread attention, sparking intrigue and conversation online.
This notable photo captures Donald Trump delivering a toast amidst a table filled with influential guests, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tim Cook, First Lady Melania Trump, and Xi Jinping. In an amusing twist, Elon Musk can be seen on the far left, appearing to balance utensils on his finger, creating an unusual visual that has drawn comments.
Some may remember a previous incident where Musk, during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Trump, exhibited similar antics. In March 2025, Musk was seen wielding a chainsaw in a bizarre attempt to reform government operations, all while appearing visibly intoxicated as he played with his silverware.
Musk playing with his silverware while tripping on ketamine at Bedminster.pic.twitter.com/2nvI7Wzuri
— Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) March 22, 2025
This latest image from the state dinner raises some eyebrows. Observers are noting Musk’s expression appears oddly different, almost more artificial than his usual demeanor.
Similarly, Tim Cook’s face in the image seems distorted in a peculiar manner, adding to the overall strangeness of the photo.
Is this image authentic or a product of AI manipulation? We consulted Musk’s chatbot, Grok, for insights.
“Yes, the photo is genuine,” Grok informed us. “It depicts the head table at the official White House state dinner held on September 24, 2026, hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan in the East Room.”
Curious about Musk’s actions in the image, we asked Grok for more details. The chatbot responded: “Elon Musk is seated at the head table, holding a spoon (and possibly a fork) up toward his face with his right hand, while looking toward the center of the table where the toast is occurring between Melania Trump and Xi Jinping.”
Although Musk is not at the head of the table, Grok continued: “He is dressed in a black tuxedo with a bow tie, appears relaxed and engaged in the moment, and is positioned next to Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO). This aligns with the official seating arrangements for the September 24, 2026, White House state dinner.”
Intrigued by Musk’s unusual posture with his silverware, we pressed Grok for further clarification. The chatbot explained, “He’s simply holding the spoon (and fork) up near his face in a casual, mid-gesture manner while seated at the table.”
To confirm the photo’s authenticity, we asked Grok one last time. The chatbot asserted, “Yes, I’m confident it’s real,” stressing that “there’s no evidence suggesting it’s AI-generated or altered—the individuals, attire, setting, and moment all correspond with the documented event.”
Despite Grok’s assertions, the image is indeed not real. The original photograph was captured by photographer Kevin Dietsch for Getty Images. Below, you can view the unedited version.
Other chatbots offered their assessments when we inquired about the altered image. OpenAI’s ChatGPT identified the image as fake, while Microsoft Copilot stated it lacked sufficient evidence for a conclusion. Google’s Gemini labeled it unauthentic, pointing to Musk’s awkward grip on the silverware as a clear sign of manipulation: “Elon Musk is holding a fork and spoon together awkwardly in one hand, with the tines and bowl appearing warped and fused.”
Despite the readily available original image online, Grok struggled to distinguish between the real and the fake. This aligns with past instances where the chatbot made controversial claims, including praising Adolf Hitler and suggesting Musk is more intelligent than Albert Einstein.
A separate clearly fabricated image has also surfaced, featuring Trump pointing at the camera while Xi Jinping holds a glass of wine, and Musk appears to be clutching a drink. In this image, OpenAI’s Sam Altman is even depicted cozily next to Musk, a scenario that raises skepticism.
This fabricated image has been so convincing that it managed to mislead Mike Waltz, a figure known for his past indiscretions, including inviting a journalist into a private Signal group chat where sensitive national security matters were discussed. After serving as National Security Advisor, Waltz was reassigned to a post as the ambassador to the UN.
“Only @POTUS could pull this group together. Photo of the year,” Waltz tweeted, although he later deleted the post.
At the time of this writing, neither of the viral images carries a community note indicating their inauthenticity. This oversight is concerning, especially considering the potential implications if high-ranking officials are deceived by such obviously fabricated images. These individuals wield significant influence, including access to sensitive information like nuclear codes.
If you seek authentic images from the event, numerous real photographs are available, such as the one below featuring Musk alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
No, this image hasn’t been altered. It’s true that Musk sometimes resembles Beavis from Beavis and Butt-Head.
Daniel Mercer
