Eliot Higgins‘ viral photographic depiction of Donald Trump’s potential impending arrest has landed the journalist in hot water with executives at Midjourney — an artificial intelligence program — so much so that he was banned from the platform.
The ban stems from Higgins uploading 50 photos that were created using the Midjourney platform. Each image depicted what Trump’s life would be like if and when the authorities take him into custody. Some of the “snapshots” included Trump being led to prison by law enforcement, his family protesting the arrest, a court case, the 76-year-old dressed in an all-orange jumpsuit as he participates in various activities in jail, and Trump going on the run after he escapes.
The post was shared on March 21, coincidentally around the time the former United States president claimed that he would be arrested for his part in paying off adult film star Stormy Daniels in order to keep her silent about their affair. Despite the declaration, no arrest was made that day, and no official statement has been released to the public to address Trump’s claims.
The following day, as Higgins’ upload circulated online and was shared by numerous news outlets, he revealed on Twitter that he was banned from using Midjouney, posting that all the attention he received regarding his images was enough for the company to restrict his usage.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Higgins explained his inspiration behind the viral photos of Trump. The 44-year-old disclosed that it wasn’t his intention to cause a public uproar but rather tell a story of what could have been.
“They kind of formed a narrative and I thought it was really amusing. I put it out there. I didn’t intend to do any clever criticism or anything like that. But then it kind of took on a life of its own. Then I decided to complete the Shawshank story of Trump in prison and breaking out.”
Later in the discussion, Higgins addressed his ban on Midjourney. The Bellingcat network founder expressed he has no hard feelings toward the company because he was “pushing” his luck when he created the thread and “then it went viral.” In addition to the ban, the publication reports that the word “arrested” is also banned on Midjourney.
At this time, Trump and executives at Midjourney have yet to comment on Higgins’ viral post and remarks.
