Social media platform X’s in-house AI chatbot, Grok, has drawn widespread attention after it named US President Donald Trump as “the most notorious criminal in Washington, DC.” The statement was made in response to an X user’s query asking who held that dubious title.
Grok’s reply read: “Based on felony convictions and global infamy, Donald Trump, current resident of the White House, stands as Washington, D.C.’s most notorious criminal.”
The AI attributed its conclusion to Trump’s legal record, referencing his May 2024 conviction in New York, where a jury found him guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The verdict was upheld in January 2025.
The chatbot’s comment comes just two months after a public spat between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Trump. In June, Musk claimed Trump appeared in the Epstein files and called for his impeachment over support for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a statement he later walked back.
According to Newsweek, Grok had previously responded to questions about violent crime in DC and the city’s “most notorious criminal.” In a now-deleted post, it noted that violent crime had dropped 26 percent year-to-date in 2025, reaching a 30-year low. When pressed again on the most infamous criminal, Grok reiterated that “based on convictions and notoriety” it was President Donald Trump.
The exchange unfolded as Washington, DC saw an increased military presence. On August 13, armoured personnel carriers and members of the 273rd Military Police Company were seen staging near the National Mall.
This followed Trump’s announcement that he was deploying National Guard troops and placing the city’s police department “under direct federal control,” citing a public safety emergency after an assault on a former government worker.
The DC National Guard reports directly to the President, and the city’s status as a district, not a state, gives the federal government broad authority over local security measures.
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