At a Glance
- President Donald Trump’s AI-cloned voice narrates a new Fannie Mae commercial that aired Sunday.
- The Trump administration gave permission for the voice clone, which promises an “all new Fannie Mae.”
- Trump will discuss housing affordability at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Why it matters: The administration is signaling major housing reforms as voters worry about soaring home prices.
A one-minute Fannie Mae ad that aired Sunday opens with what sounds like President Donald Trump speaking, but the voice is an AI-generated clone created with permission from the Trump administration, according to an on-screen disclaimer.
The spot positions Fannie Mae as the “protector of the American Dream” and arrives as the White House races to show action on housing affordability. Trump is set to address the topic during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders and top executives are gathering this week.
This is not the first time the Trump family has embraced synthetic voices. First Lady Melania Trump recently used AI firm Eleven Labs to voice the audio version of her memoir. The identity of the team that cloned the president’s voice for the Fannie Mae commercial has not been disclosed.
Inside the Ad
In the ad, Trump’s digitized voice delivers a populist pitch:
“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.”
The video pledges that Fannie Mae will partner with banks to approve more would-be buyers for mortgages.
Housing on the Agenda
The commercial tees up a broader policy blitz. In a prime-time address last month, Trump vowed to unveil “some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history.”
Key ideas floated so far:
- Privatization: Trump and Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, want to return Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private ownership by listing shares on a major exchange, though no timetable exists.
- 50-year mortgages: Extending the standard 30-year loan to 50 years to cut monthly payments. The proposal drew instant criticism that borrowers would build equity more slowly; Trump has since appeared to back away.
- $200 billion bond purchase: Trump announced on social media that the government will buy $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities, using cash already held by Fannie and Freddie, to push mortgage rates lower.
- Investor ban: He also promised to bar large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, arguing the move would free up inventory for younger families.
Role of Fannie and Freddie
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have operated under federal conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis. Together they guarantee roughly half of the $13 trillion U.S. mortgage market, buying qualifying loans from banks to keep liquidity flowing.
Any structural change to the companies reverberates across the economy, affecting everything from mortgage rates to the availability of 30-year fixed-rate loans.
AI Ethics Twist
Trump’s approval of AI voice cloning is notable given his past criticism of automated signature devices. He has repeatedly complained about reports that Biden administration aides used an autopen to replicate presidential signatures on laws, pardons, and executive orders. A recent House Republican report found no hard evidence Biden’s name was signed without his knowledge.
The Fannie Mae ad offers an ironic counterpoint: the same administration now deploys artificial intelligence to replicate Trump’s own voice for a policy message.
Global Tech Stage
The unveiling of the AI-narrated commercial coincides with the AI for Good conference in Geneva, Switzerland, where nine humanoid robots gathered to showcase how artificial intelligence can tackle global challenges.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration authorized the use of AI to clone the president’s voice for a federal housing ad.
- Housing affordability is rising on the White House priority list ahead of the 2025 policy calendar.
- Proposals on the table range from sweeping structural changes at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to market interventions like large-scale bond purchases.
- No formal legislative or regulatory timeline has been released for any of the initiatives.
Jordan M. Lewis originally reported this story for News Of Philadelphia.
