The Onion escalates President Trump’s already aggressive use of memes and AI videos on social media, such as his recent wielding of religious imagery against Pope Leo, by imagining AI Trump fornicating with a basketball. The fun of the article is the addition of absurd details, like the basketball emblazoned with the word “America” and AI Trump yelling out a different country every second. The confusion over the video heightens at the article’s end, as a pantless AI Trump dunks the same basketball over Jesus Christ.
2. Trump Promises His Approval Ratings Will Be Resurrected In Three Days – The Babylon Bee
The Babylon Bee wins the best use of direct mapping this week, because if our President is going to post AI imagery of himself as Jesus Christ, then he should rhetorically start speaking like Jesus Christ as well. In a moment reminiscent of an earlier Trump tweet about shooting people, he says he could stand in Times Square as Jesus and no one would care. His Jesus-like actions reach a zenith when he lets the media know that someone in his inner circle will betray him.
3. Vatican City Is Overrun With Crime Thanks To Its Weak Pope – McSweeneys
McSweeney’s takes a more subtle approach to the White House’s tiff with Pope Leo, as a fake pro-Trump editorial columnist claims the Vatican is much weaker on its crime than America. For example, the Pope offers absolution to any criminal who is willing to take the confessional, while Trump demands at least one million dollars for any presidential pardon. And while the author treats the tourism of the Vatican as an immigration problem, Trump promises to be airtight on immigration. The President plans on not letting anyone attend games at the World Cup that the US is hosting, to prevent any outsiders from coming in.
4. Trump Making Calls Cold Open – Saturday Night Live
SNL’s Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, goes for more of a montage of jokes this week, as he makes a series of phone calls. His first call is to Tiger Woods, making fun of Woods’ recent DUI. Trump then gets a call from Chloe Fineman’s Melania Trump, and Trump makes fun of her too, as she suggests publicly denying any connection to Jeffrey Epstein and the Long Island serial killer will stop anyone from associating her with them. Trump’s final call to Pete Hegseth is a lot more celebratory, as they sing a song about taking Iranian oil to the timeless tune of “Nookie” by Limp Bizkit.
5. Melania Trump Plays Two Truths And A Lie – SNL UK
This SNL sketch has a very surreal set-up, as Melania Trump randomly shows up for a game of “Never Have I Ever” at a random barbecue, just so she can say she never befriended Jeffrey Epstein. And the mere mention of Truth or Dare makes her think someone dared to suggest she knew Ghislaine Maxwell. And a final attempt at charades has Melania opening a tiny book with her hands, in fact, a clue for the Epstein files. A very funny, simple comedic idea.
