‘Losing the plot’: Trump mocked after announcing superhero card collection - The Guardian US

Donald Trump walked into a comic publication beingness of net mockery connected Thursday, erstwhile successful a cautiously trailed announcement helium introduced his “official Donald Trump Digital Trading Card” collection with a representation of himself successful superhero costume, cape and “Trump Champion” belt.

“Just erstwhile you thought this grifter couldn’t humiliate himself immoderate much than helium already has,” wrote John Kiriakou, a CIA whistleblower turned author, “there’s this. THIS is what the large announcement was.”

On Wednesday, Trump utilized his Truth Social media level – acceptable up aft helium was thrown disconnected Twitter for inciting the Capitol onslaught – to trail a “major announcement”.

In what with hindsight appeared a hint that the forthcoming announcement mightiness not beryllium successful the traditionally dignified vein of statements from erstwhile presidents, that video featured Trump saying “America needs a superhero” implicit an animation of himself lasting extracurricular Trump Tower, ripping unfastened his suit to uncover a superhero costume and shooting lasers from his eyes.

Some societal media users thought Trump mightiness denote a bid to beryllium talker of the US House, an outlandish if theoretically imaginable gambit pushed by immoderate rightwing Republicans.

Others wondered if Trump was attempting to ape the “Dark Brandon” net meme, successful which Joe Biden – who bushed Trump resoundingly astatine the ballot container successful 2020 – is shown arsenic a super-competent comic publication fig with laser vision.

But erstwhile the announcement came connected Thursday, Trump said helium was simply offering supporters “limited variation cards featur[ing] astonishing ART of my Life & Career”, which helium promised would beryllium “very overmuch similar a shot paper but hopefully overmuch much exciting”.

“GET YOUR CARDS NOW!” the 76-year-old erstwhile president commanded, supra the representation of himself lasting successful a ringing for boxing oregon wrestling, muscles rippling nether a reddish leotard and wearing precocious bluish boots emblazoned with “45” (his statesmanlike number) and an American emblem arsenic a cape.

The cards, the declared campaigner for the Republican information successful 2024 said, outgo “Only $99 each” and “would marque a large Christmas gift”.

“Don’t Wait,” Trump added. “They volition beryllium gone, I believe, precise quickly!”

Trump’s request for funds has accrued recently, amid unprecedented ineligible jeopardy implicit his concern and governmental affairs.

He has besides taken a battering successful polls regarding the GOP information successful 2024, slipping behind the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, successful surveys carried retired by USA Today, CNN and the Wall Street Journal.

On Thursday, amid wide mockery, Santiago Mayer, enforcement manager of Voters Tomorrow, wrote: “Donald Trump’s large announcement is that he’s selling his ain Pokémon cards.”

Ginger Gibson, elder Washington exertion for NBC Digital, wrote: “Donald Trump’s ‘major announcement’ appears to beryllium that helium inactive thinks radical volition springiness him $99 erstwhile helium asks.”

Sarah Rumpf, a contributing exertion to Mediate, a media watchdog, said: “This is someway hilariously dumber than adjacent I had expected.”

Philip Bump, a Washington Post columnist, said Trump was “losing the plot”.

Rick Wilson, of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said: “Major Trump embarrassment, much like, amirite?”