AI-made Lego cartoons of Donald Trump went viral within hours. Explosive Media published a new clip minutes after Mr Trump said he wouldn’t wipe out “a whole civilization.”
What the clip shows
The short video, created in a Lego-like style, stages a mini‑figure Donald Trump colluding with Gulf leaders, Iranian officials pressing a large red button marked “back to the stone age,” and a scene where Trump throws a chair at US generals. It ends with a Lego Trump sitting beside a document labelled as Iran’s 10‑point ceasefire plan, sobbing while holding a white flag and eating a taco — a gag tied to an acronym the creators used: TACO.
The humour hits hard and the images don’t hold back. The clip is meant to humiliate. It matches a string of similar videos the group has released since the war began in February, many of which have drawn millions of views on mainstream platforms.
The newest clip was posted to Explosive Media’s X account and its Telegram channel within hours of Mr Trump’s on‑the‑record remark. The post’s caption read: “IRAN WON! The way to crush imperialism has been shown to the world. Trump Surrendered. TACO will always remain TACO.”
How the videos are made
The pieces are AI‑generated and Lego‑inspired rather than actual stop‑motion Lego. Explosive Media’s output is more scripted and more polished than earlier Lego‑style clips posted by accounts tied to Iran’s government, according to reporting.
You can see the polish in the way scenes are set up, paced, and in the jokes themselves. The creators lean on American cultural references — tacos, armchair generals, grandstanding politicians — and they stitch those into short, shareable clips designed to spread quickly online.
Who is Explosive Media?
Explosive Media describes itself as a team of young Iranian activists. WIRED reported that a member of the group, who declined to identify themselves publicly, said the team had content ready and adjusted it quickly after Mr Trump’s comment. The disclosure to WIRED indicates the group plans its output and moves fast when major news breaks.
Explosive Media’s creators appear to know Western internet culture and political flashpoints. That fluency helps the videos land outside Iran; they’re clearly aimed at international audiences, not just a domestic one.
Claims and scrutiny
The group’s rapid, well‑produced output has drawn scrutiny. Some observers have suggested there might be links between Explosive Media and Iranian state accounts, though the team’s public material is branded as a grassroots collective. Reporting notes past instances where Iranian government accounts posted Lego‑style videos, but Explosive Media’s work is described as more sophisticated and scripted.
Thing is, it’s hard to tell from the videos alone who's behind the funding or whether any official institutions have a hand in production. The content is intentionally theatrical — part satire, part propaganda — and it rides the same technological rails that make deepfakes and AI‑assisted media easy to produce and distribute.
Platform spread and reach
The clips have racked up millions of views on mainstream platforms, according to reporting. That reach matters because short, visual clips like these travel fast across social apps, are easy to remix, and often get shared without context.
Explosive Media used X and Telegram for distribution for the latest video. Both platforms have been used for rapid sharing of political material in recent years, with posts often resurfacing elsewhere across the web once they gain momentum.
Why the timing mattered
They prepare content before big events and then quickly tweak and release it to get more attention. The creators reportedly expected a pullback and had edits ready; after Mr Trump’s remark they made adjustments and released the clip.
Right now, that technique isn’t new in online information campaigns. But the combination of AI production tools, pop culture packaging and fast distribution gives such efforts a new scale and speed. Where previously a crude clip might circulate in a niche corner of the internet, now a refined, laugh‑or‑rage piece can reach millions in hours.
What the creators seem to aim for
The videos blend mockery and message. They’re comedic on the surface, but they also carry political framing: Iran as triumphant, an American leader as cowardly, Gulf cooperation with the US as suspect. Packaging serious claims as comedy helps content stick — and makes it easier to share without immediate pushback.
Explosive Media’s public online handle and the clip’s caption make the political intent explicit. The post’s celebration — “IRAN WON!” — leaves little doubt about the stance the creators want audiences to take.
Context from reporting
Ars Technica reported on the clip and its circulation, drawing on WIRED’s reporting about the group’s preparations and on the broader pattern of Lego‑style posts from Iranian government accounts. That reporting paints a picture of a small, nimble group using contemporary tools to magnify a political message quickly.
But reporting also shows the limits of what’s public. The group’s internal finances, network of contacts and any possible state links aren't set out in the public posts. Which means some key questions remain unanswered even as the videos keep appearing.
Honestly, the uncertainty helps the content spread—it’s easy to watch but tough to track down.
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"IRAN WON! The way to crush imperialism has been shown to the world. Trump Surrendered. TACO will always remain TACO," — caption on Explosive Media’s X post.
This article was created with AI assistance.
