White House claims Trump went from ‘hunted to hunter' in latest unhinged meme with fireworks, eagles and flags
Surrounded by Fourth of July fireworks, the Stars and Stripes and bald eagles hovering low, Trump is cast as an all-American avenger. While not explicitly spelled out, the 'hunted' presumably refers to the indictments he faced in 2023, all of which he complained were fabrications invented by his political adversaries to persecute him.
'They came after the wrong man,' the post is captioned, but who 'they' are and who precisely Trump is 'hunting' is not obvious.
That said, Trump has recently called out a string of old foes, from former president Barack Obama to California Sen. Adam Schiff and expat chat show host Rosie O'Donnell, as he seeks to move on from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal currently threatening to engulf his presidency.
Trump regularly griped throughout his first term that he was the victim of 'witch hunts' to discredit him, beginning with then-FBI special counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation into his campaign's alleged ties to Russia and continuing into the House impeachment hearings over his 'quid pro quo' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019.
After losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Trump went on to be indicted by another special counsel, Jack Smith, over his role in the Capitol riot and for retaining top secret documents at his Florida home, as well as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for falsifying business records to conceal 'hush money' payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels and by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for attempting to overturn the election result in Georgia.
Only Bragg's case reached trial, with Trump ultimately found guilty on all counts on May 30 last year. He moved quickly to appeal a verdict that left him the first convicted felon to win the White House, another unwanted historic first for the only U.S. president to be impeached twice.
Throughout his legal ordeals, Trump insisted he was innocent of any wrongdoing and that his long list of enemies were conspiring against him.
As a candidate last year, he also repeatedly declined invitations to deny that he was motivated by revenge, instead telling Newsmax in June 2024, to give just one example, that it was 'very possible' his political opponents could be prosecuted if he returned to power.
The latest meme from the official White House X account would appear to back up that threat and has drawn a mixed reaction from commentators, finding favor with MAGA and QAnon accounts but scorn elsewhere, with many posting memes of their own to suggest it is just another Epstein distraction tactic.
'This post by The White House X account, crosses a line that should concern every American, regardless of party,' wrote podcaster Lorenzo Maldonado.
'This isn't just over the top campaign propaganda. It's a direct use of government branding to promote one man's narrative of vengeance, using militaristic imagery and cult like symbolism.
''I was the hunted now I'm the hunter'? That's not the language of democracy. That's something else entirely. The presidency isn't a weapon. And the White House isn't a campaign tool.'
Earlier this month, the same account posted an image of Trump as Superman to capitalise on the new DC blockbuster starring the Man of Steel, which likewise attracted derision.
That post led one commentator to accuse the billionaire businessman of turning the Oval Office into 'a slop engagement farm' by putting out content designed to excite Trump's base and troll his detractors, rather than serious and informative messaging from the commander-in-chief.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
New FEMA grants set to hand out $600M to states so they can build migrant detention facilities
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning to give out more than $608 million in grants to states and local jurisdictions to build more immigration detention facilities, as the Trump administration seeks to expand U.S. detention capacity and quickly deport millions of people. 'This will relieve overcrowding in the U.S. Custom and Border Protection's short-term holding facilities, further the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's immigration enforcement plans and complement U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operational priorities,' the agency wrote in a notice detailing the new Detention Support Grant Program. The funding will support the creation of more facilities like Florida's ' Alligator Alcatraz ' detention center, a converted swamp airstrip where detainees say they have faced inhumane conditions, abuse, and highly restricted access to legal counsel. The facility has faced legal challenges from environmental, tribal, and civil rights groups. Florida has said it will seek federal reimbursement for the facility, which has already cost the state $245 million in contracts to build and operate. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said the federal government will seek to reimburse Florida through FEMA's $650 million shelter and services program — money outside the agency's disaster budget relief set aside by Congress under Joe Biden's administration to cover the cost of housing migrants. The government has also ramped up spending on federal facilities, awarding a $1.26 billion contract to build a sprawling tent facility at an Army base in Texas that will be the largest immigrant detention center in the country. The Trump administration's One Big, Beautiful Bill spending package awards ICE an additional $45 billion for detaining migrants, a virtually unprecedented funding increase. The detention spending spree comes as the Trump administration has sought to reduce FEMA's federal footprint. In April, FEMA announced it was ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program focused on preventing natural disasters, prompting a lawsuit from Democrat-led states. The Trump administration has also rejected 16 of the 18 applications for FEMA's 'hazard mitigation' funds after flooding across the country this year, according to an analysis from The Hill. However, this week, the White House announced four states that had recently been hit with disasters would get emergency funding: Indiana, which experienced deadly tornadoes in March; Michigan, which experienced ice storms in March; Kentucky, which experienced flooding and tornadoes in April and May; and West Virginia, which experienced flooding and tornadoes in June. The administration said earlier in the year it would eliminate FEMA entirely, moving disaster response to the states, but has since backtracked, saying it seeks a rebranding at the agency rather than a total shutdown.
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Victim dies after falling 150 feet from rock formation in Colorado
An adult died after falling 150 feet off of a steep rock face in Colorado, officials said. Emergency crews responded to a 'tragic incident' near Eagle Gate and Pine Valley Road on Thursday morning, Elk Creek Fire Department announced. An adult, whose identity has not been publicly identified, died after a fall of approximately 150 feet from a rock formation southwest of Conifer, 'with a significant portion of the fall being a free fall,' the fire department said. It's not immediately clear what the person was doing in the area or what caused the fall. Bethany Urban, the fire department's spokesperson, told the Denver Post that authorities are working to determine whether the person was climbing on public or private property. 'It was a recovery, unfortunately, not a rescue,' Urban said. The rescue crews conducted a 'difficult high angle rope recovery operation' with the support of various nearby authorities, including Conifer Fire, Alpine Rescue Team, and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Photos published by Elk Creek Fire Department captured dozens of helmet-wearing rescue workers holding a long rope during the rescue operation. 'Our hearts are with the victim's loved ones during this incredibly painful time,' Elk Creek Fire said. The harrowing incident comes days after someone else fell hundreds of feet in the state. On Wednesday, the Alpine Rescue Team rescued a person who fell 200 feet in 'steep snow' at Saint Mary's Glacier, the department said. The victim suffered 'significant injuries' and was life-flighted. The crew was able to stabilize the patient.
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Grenade missing from scene of blast that killed three LA police officers
A grenade is missing from the scene of an explosion that killed three people at a Los Angeles law enforcement training facility, authorities said. Three veteran deputy sheriffs died in the explosion last Friday, the LA county sheriff's department's largest loss of life in a single incident since 1857. Sheriff Robert Luna said the men were working on two 'military-style' grenades when one detonated. The other is unaccounted for, Luna said, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is investigating the blast. Luna said authorities have X-rayed special enforcement bureau vehicles, searched the blast area, and examined office spaces and the gym, but have not found the second grenade. 'You get the drift. We have looked at everything out there that we possibly could,' he said, adding that no one from the public has had access to the area. The grenades were seized at an apartment complex in Santa Monica a day before the explosion, Luna said. He said detectives X-rayed the devices and believed they were inert. The devices were then taken to be 'destroyed and rendered safe' at the Biscailuz training facility, where one exploded. Luna said he has called for an independent review of the policies and practices of the arson and explosives team, and has already changed how it handles these types of situations. 'All future explosive devices, inert or not, will be treated as if they are all live and will be disposed of accordingly,' he said. It was not known whether the grenades had any connection to the military. The men killed were detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn. They served 19, 22 and 33 years in the department, respectively. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is expected to publish a final report on their deaths in September.
