(ECNS）-- Western media outlets and the White House seem to have launched an online “meme war,” trading images and satire in a back-and-forth that has drawn wide attention.
In recent months, multiple outlets have reported U.S. President Donald Trump and the White House repeatedly shared memes, emojis, and seemingly AI- generated images and videos on the social media platform X to amplify U.S. foreign policy and attract public attention.
Trump administration’s political opponents, particularly Democrats, have taken to social media to push back. Media outlets, including those in the United Kingdom, Germany, and even the U.S. itself , have also joined in, adopting a distinctly mocking tone.
On Jan. 11, Trump posted an image on his Truth Social platform that appeared to show his Wikipedia page listing him as “Acting President of Venezuela,” with a term beginning in January 2026.
Shortly after the post circulated, CNBC reported that the claim was unsupported by any verified public records.
On Jan. 17, Trump posted another image on Truth Social — a black-and-white portrait of himself — styling himself as the “Tariff King.” He subsequently announced a series of tariff measures targeting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland. Tensions between the U.S. and Europe have continued to rise, particularly over Greenland-related disputes. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on social media platform X that “We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed.”
According to The New York Times, over the past several months, Trump’s posting style has been increasingly echoed by his senior aides and political allies — including official White House social media accounts.
On Jan. 24, the White House posted an image on X depicting Trump walking across Greenland’s snow-covered landscape alongside a penguin holding a U.S. flag , with the flag of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, planted in thebackground. The caption read: “Embrace the penguin.”
The image quickly triggered widespread ridicule, as penguins do not inhabit Greenland. Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove quipped on X, “Antarctic penguins, not spared by remigration policy.”
Chinese media also posted a short animated parody on X, showing Uncle Sam holding a baseball bat dragging an unwilling penguin with a rope, captioned: “Even if there were penguins in #Greenland, it would be like this”
The exchange has continued as political rivals Western media escalate their criticism. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, posted a video from Davos, Switzerland, urging European leaders to stop being overly deferential to Trump and to “have some spine.”
Newsom said in an interview, “Trump is a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you, one or the other, and you need to stand up to it,” urging Europeans to “stay tall and united.”
Newsom’s remarks soon drew the attention of U.S. political news outlet POLITICO, which accompanied the remarks with with a cartoon, depicting Trump’s face superimposed on a dinosaur, towering French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Amid escalating transatlantic tensions, The Economist also released an illustration showing Trump riding a bear, bare-chested. In its social media post, the magazine wrote that “Europeans should strive to slow down the erosion of the transatlantic alliance-but they must also prepare for the day when NATO is no more”
A netizen commented, “NATO should have been disbanded 35 years ago. A world where NATO is no more is a better world. Trump's Greenland obsession is absurd, but if it helps get rid of NATO, it may be worth it.”
Germany’s Der Spiegel released a cover image portraying five European leaders — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni —dressed as hunters against a Greenland-like icy backdrop.
The headline reads, “DONALD, ES REICHT (Donald, enough!)!” with subheadings including “Trump’s Imperialism” and “How Europe Can Hold Its Ground.”
Sharing the cover online, Der Spiegel asked How Europe could avoid becoming a “colony” of the U.S. under Trump’s leadership.
In response, some netizens offered blunt answer， “Europe needs to stay in its lane.”
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