A Ukrainian actress noticed herself in a White Home video — and created one in response : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/664x608+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/png/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa5%2F7c%2F79599af24620af83d2ef759e9b36%2Fscreenshot-2025-07-02-at-4-01-54-pm.png" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/664x608+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa5%2F7c%2F79599af24620af83d2ef759e9b36%2Fscreenshot-2025-07-02-at-4-01-54-pm.png" class="img" alt="Antonina Khyzhniak" fetchpriority="high"/> Ukrainian actress Antonina Khyzhniak made a video in response to seeing inventory footage of herself utilized in a White Home video. She acts out an imaginary negotiation between herself and President Trump. Screenshot by NPR conceal caption

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Screenshot by NPR KYIV, Ukraine — A social media video selling President Trump's tax invoice is getting loads of consideration in Ukraine. The rationale includes a TV star, a mission and a strong Ukrainian weapon — humor.

Final week, the White Home posted a video on its official Instagram web page, exhibiting a girl working at a pc late at evening.

"Work extra, hold extra," the subtitles learn. "No tax on time beyond regulation, courtesy of the one huge stunning invoice."

The submit acquired a whole bunch of feedback. Many have been from Ukrainians. "That is our Motrya," they wrote.

Motrya — performed by Antonina Khyzhniak, a well known Ukrainian actress — is a personality from Spiymaty Kaidasha, To Catch the Kaidash, a 2020 Ukrainian TV drama collection.

Talking with NPR by cellphone, Khyzhniak remembers the day in late June when her smartphone began pinging nonstop.

"I used to be bombarded with a whole bunch of messages, tags and feedback, " she says. "I didn't perceive what was occurring and the place this video got here from."

At first Khyzhniak thought it might need been made utilizing synthetic intelligence. However the inside, garments and laptop computer regarded so acquainted. Then she remembered: she had taken half in a video shoot to generate inventory footage which might be bought and is commonly not copyrighted.

It wasn't digital magic: it was a part of her actual life as an actress.

A celeb in her homeland, Khyzhniak knew learn how to profit from the second. She made her personal video, showing as each herself and President Trump. Her portrayal of the U.S. president includes utilizing an animation of his face on her physique and imitating his voice.

Within the video, Khyzhniak acts out an imaginary negotiation between herself and Trump.

"I would like your face," Khzhniak's Trump says.

"I would like…. 5 Patriots," she responds.

"Deal! Sure!"

Patriots are state-of-the-art, American-made air protection methods that assist shield Ukraine from Russian assaults. Now that these assaults have been escalating for months, Ukraine wants extra Patriots.

Khyzhniak tells NPR that her video, although seemingly lighthearted, was a chance to speak about what Ukrainians are going via.

"You go to sleep and you do not know whether or not you'll get up, whether or not you can be fortunate on this lottery to outlive," she says.

On July 1, the White Home introduced that it's stopping some weapons shipments, together with air protection missiles which were already promised to Ukraine.

Earlier than this choice, Khyzhniak had joked that perhaps sooner or later she may converse with Trump for actual.

And — in one other joke — she made clear within the video and in her NPR interview that she'd gown the half.

Many Ukrainians have been shocked in February when a Trump-aligned cable information correspondent mocked Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy throughout a White Home go to for not sporting enterprise apparel — regardless that the Ukrainian president is world-famous for sporting combat-style black, grey or khaki cargo pants and sweatshirts embellished with Ukrainian nationwide symbols, to point out he's main a nation at battle.