The new Fannie Mae commercial uses an AI‑generated replica of President Trump’s voice with administration approval, promoting an "all new Fannie Mae" and pledging expanded mortgage approvals. The spot aligns with several administration housing initiatives — including proposed stock sales for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a $200 billion mortgage‑bond purchase, and proposals to change mortgage terms — though concrete plans remain unsettled. The identity of the party that cloned the voice has not been disclosed and the White House declined to comment.
AI‑Cloned Trump Voice Narrates New Fannie Mae Ad — Used With His Permission
FILE- This April 21, 2018, file photo shows the Fannie Mae headquarters building in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
A one‑minute Fannie Mae commercial that sounds like President Donald Trump is in fact narrated with an AI‑generated replica of his voice, the ad’s disclaimer says. The spot was produced with authorization from the Trump administration and promotes an "all new Fannie Mae" that will help expand access to mortgages.
What the Ad Says
In the ad — which aired Sunday — a digitized version of Mr. Trump says the American dream of homeownership has grown harder to reach and that Fannie Mae should act as a "protector of the American Dream." The commercial pledges that the agency will work with lenders to approve more prospective homeowners for mortgages.
"For generations, home ownership meant security, independence, and stability. But today, that dream feels out of reach for too many Americans not because they stopped working hard but because the system stopped working for them."
Context And Policy Proposals
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — government‑regulated enterprises placed under federal control after the Great Recession — buy qualifying mortgages from lenders and guarantee roughly half of the roughly $13 trillion U.S. home‑loan market. They are central to housing market liquidity and mortgage availability.
The ad appears as the administration seeks to show concrete steps on housing affordability. Recent proposals and announcements tied to the administration’s housing agenda include:
- Exploring the sale of shares in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on major exchanges, a move floated by the administration and housing allies but not yet formalized.
- A proposal discussed publicly to extend the 30‑year mortgage to as long as 50 years to lower monthly payments — an idea that drew criticism for potentially reducing homeowners’ ability to build equity.
- A plan the president said would direct the federal government to buy up to $200 billion in mortgage bonds to help push down mortgage rates; officials have also said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac hold significant cash that could be used for such purchases.
- Proposals to limit purchases of single‑family homes by large institutional investors, with the goal of freeing up supply for first‑time buyers.
Who Made The AI Voice?
It is not publicly known who created the AI clone used in the Fannie Mae spot. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the ad or the voice‑cloning. Earlier this year, First Lady Melania Trump used AI technology from the company Eleven Labs to produce the audiobook of her memoir, illustrating a growing trend of political figures using synthetic voice tools.
Why This Matters
The commercial raises questions about transparency and the use of synthetic media in political and policy messaging. Separately, the use of an AI voice by the president is notable given his past complaints about reports of aides using an autopen to reproduce a former president’s signature — a claim for which a House Republican report has not produced definitive evidence.
Bottom line: The Fannie Mae ad uses an AI‑generated Trump voice with his permission and ties into broader administration efforts to address housing affordability, even as specific plans and the identity of the voice creator remain unclear.
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