I saw some visuals related to this in passing on social media yesterday and thought it might be AI.
Nope!
Via The Independent: Pastor leads wild dedication ceremony for Trump’s giant gold statue at his own golf course.
A towering gold statue of Donald Trump was unveiled at the president’s golf course in Doral, Florida, during an emotionally charged ceremony presided over by an Evangelical pastor.
Placed on a pedestal in a clearing of palm trees, the 22‑foot colossus depicts the president thrusting his fist into the air, echoing his defiant gesture after the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
[…]
“Today at Trump National Doral Miami, we witnessed an unforgettable moment,” Burns wrote on social media before emphasizing that the gilded effigy was not a false idol.
“Let me be clear: this is not a golden calf,” he said. “This statue is a celebration of life. It is a symbol of resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the will power to keep fighting for the future of America.”
This is the kind of thing that, if it were in a movie making fun of Trump, it would seem ham-fisted and over the top. It is almost too cliched to be real.
And yet, here we are.
From Burns’ X account:
They continue to leave no room for doubt that Trump is a gross egotist who wants to be viewed as the Great Leader (and in the gauchest way possible, it would seem).
How anyone can look at this and not see how authoritarian-coded it is is beyond me.
