Hours after the global release of James Gunn's highly anticipated Superman film, the White House stirred a storm online by posting an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump as the iconic superhero.
The image, shared on the official White House X account, shows a heavily muscled Trump in Superman's costume, mid-flight, with the caption, "The symbol of hope. Truth. Justice. The American Way. Superman Trump." The overlay text read, "A Trump Presidency. Truth. Justice. The American Way."
THE SYMBOL OF HOPE.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 11, 2025
TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY.
SUPERMAN TRUMP. ???????? pic.twitter.com/fwFWeYonAq
The post has quickly become internet fodder.
A user wrote, " 'Superman Trump' is insane. Superman's from Krypton, fights fascists, and stands for truth. Trump's from tax fraud, incites coups, and can't spell honest. You've mistaken Lex Luthor for Clark Kent."
Another wrote, "Superman was an illegal immigrant growing up on a farm."
"Truth? Where is the Epstein list? Justice? Where is the justice for Epstein's victims?" a comment read.
The post landed after director James Gunn spoke of his interpretation of Superman. He described the film, released on July 11, as "the story of America," calling Superman "an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country." He added, "For me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost," in an interview with The Times of London.
Superman, first created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two teenage sons of Jewish immigrants from Cleveland, was originally conceived as a villain in a short story titled 'The Reign of the Superman.' A year later, they reimagined him as a hero fighting for justice. This new version of Superman made his official debut in Action Comics #1 in April 1938.
The new film revisits Superman's moral dilemmas through a more adult lens. One of the most talked-about scenes features a 10-minute conversation between Clark Kent and his girlfriend Lois Lane, discussing geopolitics and whether Superman should have stopped a war.
"It is definitely the most unusual thing that we put in the movie," Gunn says. "Yes, it's about politics," Gunn explained. "But on another level, it's about morality. Do you never kill no matter what, which is what Superman believes, or do you find some balance, as Lois believes?"
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees once released a book in Italy titled 'Superman Was a Refugee Too', showing the character's roots as an alien forced to flee his dying planet.
Less than a decade ago, DC Comics supported World Refugee Day with the message, "The Man of Steel's story is the ultimate example of a refugee who makes his new home better."
Trump has toughened immigration rules with a $75 billion increase in ICE funding, raising detention capacity from 41,500 to 116,000 beds. Over 70 per cent of those detained in June had no criminal record.
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