Superman Trump Meme
The White House's X formerly Twitter

James Gunn's Superman is already breaking records at the box office, along with winning the hearts of DC fans all over the world. And on the film's release day, when the fans and the industry were celebrating its first day, surprisingly, the White House also decided to join in to mark the success. But in their own bizarre way.

The post shared by the official White House X account featured a digitally altered film poster, replacing the Superman's face with Trump's and emblazoning the caption: 'A SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP,' neatly tied with an American flag emoji.

While many laughed it off, labelling it as another Trump's 'playing with AI' move, some questioned it as a calculated move to reframe the president's image at a time of mounting legal and political pressure.

The Meme That Launched a Storm

The reaction to the post was immediate and polarised. Within hours, the image had racked up millions of views and became a trending topic across social media platforms. Supporters hailed it as a bold effort to champion a beloved franchise. Critics, however, weren't laughing.

California Congressman Robert Garcia didn't hold back, writing, 'He's literally Lex Luthor.' Others questioned the symbolism behind choosing Superman, who, in a technical sense, is an immigrant alien who champions the powerless, for a president whose policies have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organisations.

One X user pointed out the contrast bluntly saying, 'Superman was an undocumented immigrant. Trump is trying to deport as many as he can.' Hence, the irony of the post is not lost on netizens.

Playing the Hero Or Distracting From Trouble?

While the image may appear light-hearted, its context is far from it. The meme comes at a time when Trump is under intensifying scrutiny where he is facing lawsuits over education grants, navigating fallout from the Epstein file investigation, and battling criticism over his immigration policies. According to latest surverys, his approval rating now hovers around 41%, with slipping support among middle-class voters.

Analysts were quick to note the possible strategy behind the meme. According to them, by recasting himself as a larger-than-life saviour, Trump may be attempting to deflect attention from a worsening legal outlook and sagging public sentiment.

Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief of Zeteo, shared his thoughts on the matter on X. 'Just imagine the response if the Biden White House had posted something like this. But Trump is graded on some kind of never-seen-before curve, and this craziness is normalised.'

Why Superman And Why Now?

The Superman meme is just the latest in a series to join the surreal presidential portrayals pushed by Trump's communications team. In recent months, he has been digitally dressed as a Jedi for Star Wars Day, and before that, as a Pope which eventually sparked backlash from Catholics and even former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who called it 'a mockery of their faith.'

However, the timing of the Superman Meme is questionable as it also concided with a cultural flashpoint. The new Superman film, which opened to a strong $217 million globally, has itself become the target of right-wing commentators, some of whom branded it 'woke' after director James Gunn referred to Superman as an immigrant.

Hence, the question emerges. Why Trump would want to see himself in the shoe of an immigrant? Well, according to political commentors this might be an attempt to directly jumping into the 'woke' or the 'immigrant' discourse, claiming the symbol before critics can weaponise it.

However, the strategy is not working as the White House expected as it is seeminglyy backfiring Trump administration. 'Superman was an illegal immigrant growing up on an American farm and a hero from a comic book. Trump is the total opposite — a Superloser,' said Mario Pawlowski, an AI creator.

Meanwhile, the White House has responded to the backlash on X saying, 'Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can't post banger memes.'