Washington: The White House drew intense online backlash Friday after posting an edited image of President Donald Trump dressed as Superman, coinciding with the theatrical release of a new Superman film.
The official White House X account shared the meme late Thursday with the slogan: “THE SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP.” The digitally created image depicted Trump’s face on Superman’s body, soaring through space in the classic red-and-blue costume. The post appeared designed to leverage publicity around James Gunn’s new Superman reboot, released nationwide on Friday.
THE SYMBOL OF HOPE.
TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY.
SUPERMAN TRUMP. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/fwFWeYonAq
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 11, 2025
But what began as a promotional stunt quickly spiraled into controversy. Social media users, political figures, and celebrities condemned the meme as unprofessional and insensitive, especially in the wake of renewed questions about the Jeffrey Epstein files, which the administration recently claimed do not exist.
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“He’s literally Lex Luthor”: Politicians, public figures slam the meme
California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia reacted sharply: “He’s literally Lex Luthor.” MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan wrote, “Just imagine the response if the Biden White House had posted something like this. But Trump is graded on some kind of never-seen-before curve and this craziness is normalized.”
He’s literally Lex Luthor. https://t.co/BkjtKgApws
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) July 11, 2025
Just imagine the response if the Biden White House had posted something like this.
But Trump is graded on some kind of never-seen-before curve and this craziness is normalized. https://t.co/hLNsfPyG5f
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 11, 2025
Actor Dean Cain, who portrayed Superman in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark, offered a lighter response with two laughing emojis. A longtime Trump supporter, Cain has previously criticized Hollywood’s portrayal of superheroes as “woke.”
Others were less amused.
AI creator Mario Pawlowski wrote, “Superman was an illegal immigrant growing up on an American farm and a hero from a comic book. Trump is a total opposite of Superman—a Superloser.”
A user from the parody account Mr. Frog added, “The official White House account is now just a slop engagement farm.”
Memes, Epstein outrage, and AI criticism collide online
The timing of the meme also reignited frustration over the administration’s refusal to release the Epstein client list. The Justice Department earlier this week stated that no such list exists, a claim critics and former Trump supporters alike viewed as a cover-up.
“Superman would drop the Epstein list,” one Instagram user commented. Another added, “Stop with the games or we’ll all assume Trump is bought and paid for like the rest of D.C.”
To the non-Americans who are seeing this post, what does your country think about the USA right now?
— Hunter Hurley (@hunterhurleywx) July 11, 2025
Many users noted that Superman, canonically an alien immigrant, stood in contrast to Trump’s hardline immigration rhetoric. “Superman was an illegal alien, deport him,” one post read. Another commented, “Created by two Jewish-American sons of immigrants. How dare you.”
Not the first AI-generated controversy
This isn’t the first time Trump’s administration has shared questionable AI-generated content. In May, the president’s personal account posted a doctored image of himself dressed as the Pope, just weeks after the death of Pope Francis, prompting similar outrage.
“That’s so disrespectful. Not funny,” one commenter said. Another added, “Trump, have you lost your mind?”
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The meme also arrives as Fox News personalities attack James Gunn’s Superman reboot for being “pro-immigrant” and “superwoke,” with pundits like Greg Gutfeld and Laura Ingraham criticising the film, despite some admitting they hadn’t watched it.
