A meme featuring Donald Trump’s infamous mug shot side-by-side with a fake TIME "Person of the Year" cover has recently taken the internet by storm, garnering thousands of reactions and retweets. And, of course, it wasn’t long before Elon Musk jumped into the conversation with a cheeky comment.
Musk’s response? A simple
“Haha amazing.”
As always, Musk’s one-liner added fuel to the pre-existing chaos, and his fans were quick to pile on with their own little comments. The 2-picture-collage of Trump’s mug shot and the high-profile magazine cover pic is definitely viral material. The meme's rise coincides with a wider trend of using political figures for meme humor, often blurring the lines between satire and reality.
A viral meme featuring Trump’s mug shot gets the Musk treatment—and fans love it
Fans react to Musk’s comment with humor and wit
Elon Musk’s casual “Haha amazing” response was all it took to send meme enthusiasts into a typing frenzy. X users rushed to the replies, where the reactions ranged from praise to playful jabs.
One user quipped,
“Thank you Elon and Trump for helping to Make America Great Again"
Another chimed in with a jab, writing,
"Elon Musk is Time Person of the Year for posting memes on twitter”.
The combination of Musk’s nonchalant reply and Trump’s persona made for some viral content that also happened to be super funny in a true chronically online and learns-about-politics-on-Twitter way!
It didn’t stop at mere words. Meme creators quickly crafted new versions, incorporating Musk's face alongside the President's, morphing them into cartoonish shapes with odd dimensions - adding to the hilarity! Some believed that the current trending assassin should be on the TIME cover and said,
"sorry Times but the person of the year is objectively Luigi Mangione”
For many, the whole ordeal encapsulated just how bizarre and entertaining internet culture has become—where real political figures get reimagined as larger-than-life (AI-generated) comic characters in viral posts.
Background: Trump’s mug shot, TIME’s influence, and the meme machine
This meme’s origins tap into some widely circulated internet material. Donald's mug shot, taken during his Georgia indictment earlier this year, has become a bit of a reaction (and rage-bait) classic. In many corners of the internet, it’s been repurposed for everything from mock campaign posters to pop culture parodies.
Pairing that with a TIME "Person of the Year" cover—a highly coveted accolade that often garners as much debate as it does praise—was bound to appear on our trending pages.
Given the trajectory of his political career (former felon to winning the Presidential election), it makes sense that the future President's “how it started vs. how it’s going” meme format went viral. It's not the first time Trump has been involved in such internet moments, but the mashup was a fresh take for many, particularly with the satirical twist on TIME’s cover.
Trending
Elon Musk’s presence in the meme space isn’t new either. The tech mogul has often engaged with meme culture, whether through his cryptic posts, reactions, or the memes others create about him. In this instance, Musk’s laid-back reaction fits right into his brand of humor, further solidifying his status as a meme lord in the eyes of his fans.
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