Copyright Atlanta Black Star
Donald Trump wasn’t getting the praise he wanted — so he gave it to himself. Rather than wait for applause, the former president handed himself the spotlight and delivered the pat on the back he felt he deserved. On Oct. 26, he reshared a meme of himself on Truth Social. The photo showed him walking on a lawn, his red MAGA hat in hand, tie and top button of his collared shirt undone, and his face smudged with makeup as he appeared drained from a day of campaigning. The meme’s message stated, “I want to thank Donald Trump for working like a dog for no money to save a Country that doesn’t appreciate his sacrifice! Thank you Mr President!” Trump reshared it with a bold declaration about his administration’s work: “Thank you. Big progress for America being made!” After taking office in January, he said, “The golden age of America begins right now,” and made a bounty of promises that included lower fuel and grocery prices. And like his first term, he declined the annual presidential salary of $400,000. But the question begging to be answered remains: What has he done in the past 10 months that is worthy of praise? To him, he has done plenty, and the efforts are ongoing. To critics online, the answer is not enough. On Instagram, a non-supporter reacted to the thank you post with, “The levels of delusion. Breaking everything so that he is the ONLY one who benefits.” A second person said Trump “is absolutely sick in the head.” The president and his administration would both argue that recent assessments of his health suggest otherwise. Elsewhere online, the self-praise fanned ire. A critic unloaded frustrations when they wrote, “Working for no money??!?! Are you kidding? You’ve spent $58M since Jan golfing, you’re stealing $1B to restore Qatari jet, & now you’re going to rob us of $230M just because you can. That sounds like a BIG payoff to me and I could go on!!” To the dismay of voters, Trump is in the process of replacing the East Wing of the White House with a grandiose ballroom. He claimed the $200 million project is being funded by donors. However, days after demolition began, reports uncovered two suits he filed against the Department of Justice for $230 million. The price of the construction tab since has been upped to $300 million. A cynic suggested that the Republican leader consider teaching the country a lesson by doing the unexpected. They sarcastically typed, “Trump is correct, no one appreciates him and he works too hard. I think he should teach everyone a valuable lesson and quit! That will show all of us.” A fifth individual mentioned, “Isn’t it pitiful that the narcissistic POtuS has to thank himself, since the general public can’t stand him as a leader.” A recent Reuters poll concluded that only 40 percent of Americans approve of his leadership. The self-absorbed post comes amid his days-long trip to meet with leaders of countries across Asia.
