President Donald Trump on Thursday morning tweeted a mocking meme showing him literally eclipsing former President Barack Obama, sparking questions over whether the meme is racist—or just an exceptionally strange thing for the president of the United States to tweet.
The meme Trump retweeted came from Jerry Travone, a self-described “YouTube actor and political junkie” who is not shy about his support for Trump.
— Jerry Razor Travone™️ (@JerryTravone) August 24, 2017
Within moments after Trump retweeted Travone, people began predicting that liberals would view a meme in which Trump, who is white, blocks out Obama, America’s first black president, as racist.
https://twitter.com/wfrazzini/status/900698196573380608
Prediction: The alt-left will have raging fits of hysteria claiming this Trump retweet is racist. In 3,2,1…. https://t.co/1efGiGl2HB
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) August 24, 2017
Some did, indeed, find the meme racist, particularly in light of Trump’s response to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last week.
https://twitter.com/john_yazek/status/900700924989059074
After all that’s happened, this visual is a stark example of white supremacy, literally blotting blackness out. https://t.co/EosQ27L7gQ
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) August 24, 2017
WOW…points for RACIST creativity…Also No and NEVER https://t.co/pMnDn2AoN4
— 💥Mover Shaker- Mischief Maker (@TheTownie88) August 24, 2017
Trump. Just. Retweeted. The. Most. Racist. Meme. Possible…WTF is happening?!Oh,and Pee Tape CLEARLY real. #TrumpIsARacist #SteeleDossier https://t.co/SDwNl9T3ao
— Jackie 🌊🌊🌊 (@LiberalMmama) August 24, 2017
In response to one of those critics, Travone told the person, “go fuck yourself, pussy.” However, he appears to have deleted that tweet.
For the most part, people aren’t responding with accusations of racism. Instead, they’re just baffled by the leader of the free world engaging in petty politics with his predecessor.
https://twitter.com/AGoot18/status/900701360655618049
The president of the United States just re-tweeted this.
— Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) August 24, 2017
Imagine any other president doing something similar. You can't. Again. https://t.co/P5lUf84A8p
https://twitter.com/CillizzaCNN/status/900698598027005952
Yesterday Trump: 'It is 'time to heal wounds that divide us'
— Jennifer Hayden (@Scout_Finch) August 24, 2017
Today Trump: 'Fuck you, Obama!' https://t.co/w13OAXhErz
The leader of the free world retweets….. https://t.co/bPVfDIdnuP
— Peter Smith (@Redpeter99) August 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/jackTweets11/status/900698832232755201
Others simply pointed out the strangeness of the metaphor the meme makes. Is Trump saying he’s the moon and Obama is the sun? If so, does that mean Trump sees himself as the one casting a dark shadow across the entire United States?
So Obama is the sun — the bright center of our galaxy — and Trump is the moon, a dead rock that briefly obscures it? That's your metaphor? https://t.co/7Bs3R1OFAu
— Kurt Gessler (@kurtgessler) August 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/JeremyRoss15/status/900698011738787840
Trump just retweeted this.
— Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) August 24, 2017
He understands what happens *after* the eclipse is over, right? https://t.co/P7sgV3OGyT
Trump retweeted this. Admitting that he is the moon to Obama’s sun and a fleeting passing thing that fills people with fear. https://t.co/v9dSS4b1Ay
— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) August 24, 2017
Trump just retweeted this. He confirms that his fat round cheese moon face has blocked Obama's brilliant sunshine from reaching earth. https://t.co/JkVvJlrCLQ
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) August 24, 2017
Regardless of the meaning of the meme, one thing is certain: Trump will do something else soon that will eclipse all of this.