PenguinsAgainstTrump: Tariffs on remote island spark online movement
Donald Trump's tariffs on a group of barren, uninhabited islands is facing an unlikely online resistance from the penguins who live there, according to a whimsical viral trend.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which form an external territory of Australia in the southern Indian Ocean, are among the most remote places on Earth – and are inhabited only by penguins and seals.
Despite having no human inhabitants or imports or exports, last week the US president hit the territory with a 10% tariff on goods bound for the US.
The islands, which are accessible only by a two-week boat voyage from Perth on Australia's west coast, are believed to have last been visited by people 10 years ago.
The news has since sparked playful resistance online, with the hashtag #PenguinsAgainstTrump trending on social media.
A viral account on the platform Threads, which has more than 79,000 followers so far is also gaining traction online.
The account called 'Penguins Against Trump' claims to be run by a group of the flightless birds living on the Heard and McDonald Islands.
Some of the posts written include digs at Vice President JD Vance and the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and the recent Signal chat scandal.
'Remember folks, not only has he tariffed penguins, but his Defense Secretary spilled the krill on top-secret military operations,' one post read.
'Even the penguins are aware of it.'
Another read: 'JD Vance is just mad he can't mock us for not wearing a suit or tux,' in a jibe at the vice president's remarks during President Volodymyr Zelensky' recent visit to the White House.
The account has also thanked former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz 'for noticing the struggles of the average penguin', after the Minnesota governor joked that Mr Trump has 'picked an adversary he thinks he can beat: an island of penguins'.
Another standout post reads: 'What are you gonna do, deport us? We've been dealing with ICE for centuries.'
Meanwhile on X, formerly Twitter, a number of posts using #PenguinsAgainstTrump show images and videos of penguins preparing to fight back.
These include a picture of a penguin with a rifle and another with a machete, while one image shows a penguin teaching fellow birds its war plan.
The US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick defended the country's decision to the impose tariffs on Heard Island and McDonald Islands, saying it was to close loopholes to stop countries from shipping through the islands to the US.
'If you leave anything off the list, the countries that try to basically arbitrage America go through those countries to us,' Mr Lutnick told the BBC.
'The president knows that, he's tired of it, and he's going to fix that.'
Mr Trump, who announced import tariffs ranging from 10% to 49% last Wednesday, said the move would allow the US to flourish economically.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
35 minutes ago
- NBC News
'I would do it': Trump voices support for arresting Newsom
President Trump said he supports his "border czar" Tom Homan's threat to arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom for his handling of anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. Trump described Newsom as "grossly incompetent" and said the protests were the work of "professional agitators."June 9, 2025
Belfast Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
California governor to sue Trump over deployment of National Guard to protests
'Commandeering a state's National Guard without consulting the governor of that state is illegal and immoral,' Mr Newsom, a Democrat, told MSNBC on Sunday. The streets of the sprawling city of four million people were quiet on Monday morning, but the smell of smoke hung in the air downtown, one day after crowds blocked off a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. The law enforcement presence was heavy, with police cars blocking the street in front of the federal detention facility that was a focus of the protests. While much of the city was spared from any violence, clashes swept through several downtown blocks and a handful of other places. It could take days to clear the debris from burned cars and to paint over the graffiti. Mr Newsom called on Mr Trump to rescind the Guard deployment in a letter Sunday afternoon, calling it a 'serious breach of state sovereignty'. The governor, who was was in Los Angeles meeting with local law enforcement and officials, also told protesters that they were playing into Mr Trump's plans and would face arrest for violence or property destruction. 'Trump wants chaos and he's instigated violence,' he said. 'Stay peaceful. Stay focused. Don't give him the excuse he's looking for.' The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. Los Angeles Police chief Jim McDonnell pushed back against claims by the Trump administration that the LAPD had failed to help federal authorities when protests broke out on Friday after a series of immigration raids. He said his department responded as quickly as it could and had not been notified in advance of the raids. Mr Newsom, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that California authorities had the situation under control. He mocked Mr Trump for posting a congratulatory message to the Guard on social media before troops had even arrived in Los Angeles, and he told MSNBC that Mr Trump never floated deploying the Guard during a Friday phone call. He called Mr Trump a 'stone cold liar'. The admonishments did not deter the administration. 'It's a bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved,' White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. National Guard troops stood shoulder to shoulder on Sunday morning in LA, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted 'shame' and 'go home'. After some demonstrators closely approached the Guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Minutes later, the LAPD fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them. Nearby, at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and exploding intermittently. By evening, police had shut down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles. Flash-bang grenades echoed out every few seconds into the evening. The arrival of the National Guard followed two days of protests that began Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighbouring Compton. Federal agents arrested immigrants in LA's fashion district, in a Home Depot parking lot and at several other locations on Friday. The next day, they were staging at a Department of Homeland Security office near another Home Depot in Paramount, which drew out protesters who suspected another raid. Federal authorities later said there was no enforcement activity at that Home Depot. The weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the LA area climbed above 100, federal authorities said. Many more were arrested while protesting, including a prominent union leader who was accused of impeding law enforcement. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when former president Lyndon B Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Centre for Justice. In a directive on Saturday, Mr Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States'. He said he had authorised the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard. Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles 'and they're not going to get away with it'.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
White House reportedly can't find people willing work for Pete Hegseth
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly struggling to fill vacant chief of staff and senior advisory roles, with several candidates declining the positions, according to NBC News. Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump 's White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles are assisting with the recruitment efforts due to the difficulty in attracting qualified personnel. Hegseth's nomination was contentious, marked by accusations about his drinking and an allegation of sexual assault, and his tenure has been plagued by scandals, including the 'Signalgate' incident and the sharing of sensitive material. The departure of Hegseth's chief of staff and spokesperson, coupled with the suspension of three aides later found innocent of leaking classified material, has fueled upset within the Department of Defense. Hegseth's competence has been questioned, leading to his replacement on a visit to Israel by Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
