Bizarre and provocative AI-generated memes ranging from Pope Trump to Star Wars Day lightsaber flub to the most recent ‘King Trump” video, serve to reinforce and illustrate Trump’s projection of himself as a larger-than-life, mythic figure. These memes mock millions of American protesters who took to the streets to oppose his leadership and perceived authoritarian tendencies.
Critics argue these memes are vulgar and inflammatory, while supporters frame these videos as humorous or satirical.
Media scholars describe memes as amateur, pop-cultural artefacts that serve as a vehicle for commenting on political events and provide insights into how everyday media engage with public discourse. Scholars also argue that memes reflect worldviews and the presumed truths that underlie them.
These memes expose and reinforce the image of a public figure who believes in unchecked power, willing to disregard social order and international laws. In doing so, they shape the mythic status that Trump has created about himself.
Funny memes, which include elements of hate, jokes, and sarcasm, exemplify the various types of dark humour that can be damaging to those who are targeted. This often results in offensive content being dismissed as ‘just a joke’. The use of humour enables manipulators to conceal messages that the public would typically deem unacceptable.
One of the contentious examples of AI-generated creativity, which was shared without context or credit, was the video on Trump’s vision for a Riviera in (Gaza) the Middle East. The creators of the video assert that their concept originated from a speech delivered by Trump in Las Vegas.
Hate speech is typically regarded as spoken or written language targeting a specific group. But hate speech can also be visual. Both linguistic and visual signs of hate spread through media, sometimes fused as memes, yet most studies focus on textual or verbal analysis, ignoring the visual side of hate speech. Visual images are highly effective at conveying information concisely and engagingly, making them easier to process.
In memes, image organisation, including the positioning of elements and framing, contributes to an image’s internal flow and carries with it ideological meanings. Salience, which connotes importance and power, is expressed through visual designs using cultural symbols, size, colour, tone, focus, and foregrounding.
One clear strategy to represent Trump as powerful is a visual mashup with his head on a mythical character’s body. The ‘God Emperor Trump’ series depicts Trump as the ruler of the world, wearing armour modelled after that of the immortal Emperor of Mankind from the war game Warhammer 40,000, also known as ‘God Emperor’ or ‘Imperium of Man’. These compositional choices help reinforce Trump’s mythic status. According to the ‘Know Your Meme’ website, these images first appeared on 4Chan in June 2015.
Both the vertical and horizontal angles of interaction suggest strength. The camera looks up at Trump, connoting great power. His body also faces the camera, though his face looks off to the side. The pose suggests that he is not present to engage with viewers in a way that implies interaction. Instead, he is posing to be admired.
Trump’s power is not just represented in godlike imagery. Even the American national symbol, the bald eagle, is portrayed in the ‘God Emperor Trump’ as submissive to his rule rather than soaring freely.
The most recent meme post on Trump’s social platforms shows him wearing a crown and flying a jet labelled ‘King Trump’ that drops brown liquid on the heads of demonstrators. The short video was posted on the same day that millions of protestors in all 50 American states were chanting slogans against his authoritarian ways of governance.
Memes have become increasingly prevalent in Trump’s political discourse. He has trivialised significant issues, yet the emotions expressed on social media often disregard factual accuracy. Memes are constructed illusions.
Sonia Ambrosio
The writer is journalist, academic and researcher in media studies
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