President Donald Trump’s latest foray into the world of artificial intelligence and border security has sparked controversy on two fronts, exposing rifts within his own base and raising questions about the reach and reliability of his initiatives. In the past week, two distinct yet intertwined stories have emerged: the launch of Trump’s Truth Search AI tool, intended as a conservative antidote to mainstream tech, and the harrowing experience of two Trump voters who allege they were racially profiled by Border Patrol agents near the southern border. Both stories, in their own ways, challenge the promises and narratives that have defined Trump’s political brand.
Last week, Trump introduced Truth Search AI on his social network, Truth Social, touting it as a “patriotic” alternative to the supposedly biased chatbots built by Silicon Valley’s tech giants. The tool was designed to align with the president’s worldview and offer MAGA loyalists a safe haven from what they perceive as “wokeness.” Trump Media CEO and Chairman Devin Nunes declared that Truth Search AI would “exponentially increase the amount of information available to its users,” adding, “Truth Social [will become] an even more vital element in the Patriot Economy.”
But the reality of Truth Search AI’s performance has been more complicated—and, for Trump, more embarrassing—than anticipated. As reported by The Daily Beast, the search engine frequently contradicted some of Trump’s most persistent claims. When asked about the 2020 election, the AI denied that it was stolen. It also rejected assertions that President Joe Biden’s administration oversaw the highest inflation in American history and that there was “widespread violence” during the January 6, 2021, Capitol assault. Even more pointedly, after Trump held a news conference on August 11, 2025, declaring a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C. due to “out-of-control crime,” the chatbot responded: “No — based on the latest official data, overall crime and violent crime in Washington, D.C., have been falling in 2024–2025, not spiraling ‘out of control.’”
Ironically, Truth Search AI is powered by Perplexity AI—a company backed by Amazon and Nvidia, two Silicon Valley powerhouses Trump has often railed against. The chatbot even cited conservative sources such as Fox News, Washington Examiner, and Newsmax in its responses, further complicating the narrative that mainstream or liberal media are solely responsible for challenging Trump’s claims. Despite the intent to create a “patriotic” search engine, the technology has, in some ways, become a fact-checking thorn in Trump’s side, undermining the very conspiracies and narratives he has spent years promoting.
While Trump’s digital ambitions were being tested online, another drama was unfolding on the ground in Southern California. On August 6, 2025, George and Esmeralda Doilez, both U.S. citizens and loyal Trump voters in 2020 and 2024, were driving to a dentist appointment when they were pulled over by a dark SUV. The vehicle, it turned out, belonged to Border Patrol. According to an interview with NBC7, a group of masked agents exited the SUV, questioned the couple, and cited “reasonable suspicion” as the grounds for the stop—specifically, a “known alien” detected in the area and the couple’s several U-turns while scoping out camping sites along their route, about nine miles from the southern border.
In a video of the encounter, an agent told George, “If you have a dentist appointment, it probably wasn’t the best idea to be out in the middle of nowhere.” George replied, “We have the right to travel anywhere we want to travel.” The agent responded, “You’re absolutely right, you do, and I actually have the right and authority to stop you. It’s called reasonable suspicion.”
The situation quickly escalated when a K-9 unit detected a small amount of legally purchased cannabis in the car. This discovery was used as probable cause for a search. After about 30 minutes, the agents let the couple go with a warning, telling them they could have been ticketed for the marijuana. But the ordeal left lasting scars. George described himself as “terrified,” while Esmeralda was “shaking and crying.”
The Doilezes, who had placed their faith in Trump’s promises to target the “worst of the worst” at the border, now felt betrayed. “I feel shame, guilt, and anger at the same time because of the promises that he made that he lied to us about, going after the worst of the worst,” George told NBC7. “He lied on those and he stole our vote.” The couple’s experience echoes broader concerns about overreach and profiling at the border, especially as internal ICE data obtained by NBC shows that about half of those in custody have been neither convicted nor charged with a crime—a stark contrast to the administration’s stated focus on criminal offenders.
George’s frustration boiled over as he warned, “Complying is going to get you in a prison concentration camp. That’s what it’s going to do eventually. Maybe it might be sooner than we all think.”
Customs and Border Patrol, for their part, denied any wrongdoing. In a statement to The Daily Beast, a spokesperson said the stop was a “lawful stop based on reasonable suspicion” and that “the claim that the stop was based on racial profiling is baseless.” The agency insisted, “Border Patrol Agents acted within their legal authority throughout this incident and remained focused on CBP’s mission: securing the border.”
Yet the Doilezes’ ordeal is not unique. Despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies that prohibit the detention of U.S. citizens, dozens have been detained in recent years, including an electrician in New York and a tow yard employee near Los Angeles, according to CNN. The gap between policy and practice, coupled with the emotional toll on those caught in the system, has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over border enforcement and civil liberties.
Both the Truth Search AI saga and the Doilezes’ experience reveal the complexities and contradictions at play in Trump’s America. Efforts to create a parallel conservative infrastructure—be it in technology or law enforcement—often run up against the messy realities of governance, technology, and human rights. For Trump’s supporters, the promise of a “Patriot Economy” and tough border policies can quickly sour when the tools and tactics deployed in their name seem to turn against them.
As these stories unfold, they serve as a reminder that the intersection of technology, politics, and law enforcement is rarely straightforward. Even the most carefully crafted narratives can unravel when confronted with the facts—whether delivered by an AI chatbot or experienced firsthand on a dusty road near the border.
