It’s no mistake that Trump’s ‘Apocalypse Now’ parody, ‘Chipocalypse Now,’ sounds extra like a quippy Doritos advert than a declaration of warfare on an American metropolis. Subterfuge is the purpose.
“Chipocalypse Now.” When the slogan rolled out Saturday, it seemed like a marketing campaign for Chipotle’s newest rebrand of the common-or-garden burrito. The truth was much less savory. It was a declaration of warfare, on an American metropolis, by a sitting president, beneath the guise of a innocent meme.
Referencing the 1979 movie “Apocalypse Now,” President Trump’s Reality Social account posted an AI-generated picture of the 79-year-old because the a lot youthful Lt. Col. William Kilgore (Robert Duvall’s character within the movie). It was captioned, “‘I like the scent of deportations within the morning…’ Chicago about to search out out why it’s known as the Division of WAR,” a parody of a well-known quote from Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece. (The unique line: “I like the scent of napalm within the morning.”)
The picture, meant to seem like a film poster, was emblazoned with the phrases “Chipocalypse Now” and confirmed Trump’s picture in entrance of the Chicago skyline, replete with helicopters, flames and a plume of smoke. As for the “Division of Battle” reference, Trump signed an government order Friday to rename the Division of Protection, alleging that its outdated moniker is “woke.” Your tax {dollars} at work …
Trump’s submit generated all method of concern and outrage, because it ought to when the White Home threatens a navy operation on American soil. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted Trump’s meme through X. “The President of the US is threatening to go to warfare with an American metropolis. This isn’t a joke. This isn’t regular,” he wrote. “Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois gained’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ailing.), who spoke to reporters whereas attending Mexican Independence Day celebrations in Chicago over the weekend, known as Trump’s submit “disgusting.”
It’s no mistake that “Chipocalypse” sounds as innocuous as a bag of Flamin’ Scorching Doritos, however subterfuge is the purpose. The “I’m kidding however probably not” tactic has been known as memetic warfare, the place every part in a manufactured ecosystem like Trump’s seems to be a innocent joke. MAGA has mastered the artwork, deploying pop culture-inspired memes that function an AI-generated Trump as Superman, a Jedi or Sydney Sweeney posing seductively for a denim advert. How can such a playful fellow have dictatorial aspirations?!
Should you get upset like Sen. Durbin, MAGA insists it’s since you are “humorless and might’t take a joke.” Funnily sufficient, when California Gov. Gavin Newsom used the identical strategy to troll Republicans, they weren’t laughing.
Trump wasn’t jokey or enjoyable Sunday when NBC Information’ Yamiche Alcindor requested him in regards to the meme on the South Garden of the White Home. He was condescending when he known as her “darling” and referred to her query as “faux information.” When Alcindor tried to reply, Trump snapped again.
“Be quiet, pay attention! You don’t pay attention! You by no means pay attention,” he stated. “That’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to warfare. We’re gonna clear up our cities. We’re gonna clear them up, in order that they don’t kill 5 folks each weekend. That’s not warfare, that’s widespread sense.”
If sense of cause had been a part of his crime-fighting quotient, his troops can be invading the metro areas with the very best variety of murders per capita — New Orleans first, then Memphis, Tenn., and St. Louis. But he has left these red-state cities off his checklist in favor of locations run by Democrats.
Trump has talked for weeks about sending ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Safety and different enforcement businesses to Chicago. The president claims it’s to fight out-of-control crime charges and to execute mass deportations. He’s already focused Los Angeles and Washington. D.C., which like Chicago are beneath Democratic management.
“The president’s threats are beneath the distinction of our nation, however the actuality is that he desires to occupy our metropolis and break our Structure, we should defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by defending one another and defending Chicago from Donald Trump,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wrote on social media.
Trump’s Division of Homeland Safety introduced Monday that it was launching a surge of immigration regulation enforcement in Chicago. They got here up with one other slogan: “Operation Halfway Blitz.”
If solely that was a silly meme too.
