Chinese netizens and the attack on Trump
News and pictures of the attempted assassination of the former US president went viral on Chinese social media. T-shirts with the picture of the iconic shot and bloody face are already on sale online. Some make fun of the clenched fist, dusting off the moniker "Comrade Janguo", used to mock Trump during his presidency.
Milan (AsiaNews) – The news of the attack on former US President Donald Trump on Saturday, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania has sparked multiple reactions in China, quickly trending on Chinese social media.
According to What’s on Weibo, an independent news site reporting on trending topics on Chinese social media, the attempted murder of Trump was one of the most searched topics by Sunday afternoon on Weibo.
Within hours of Trump’s shooting, multiple hashtags related to the incident were trending: “Trump Was Shot”, “Trump Says Bullet Pierced His Right Ear, “Reporter Captures Bullet Grazing Trump’s Ear”, “Identity of Trump Shooter Confirmed”.
Based on the comments, users of China’s main microblogging platform believe that this event will play in favour of the Republican candidate, increasing his popularity and facilitating his race for the White House next November.
“I instinctively believe that this incident will garner Trump a lot of sympathy, bringing him one step closer to returning to the White House,” wrote Hu Xijin, a well-known social and political commentator.
Reposting a tweet by American media influencer Jackson Hinkle, comparing a photo of Trump raising a clenched fist after the shooting to Biden on the ground after falling off his bike near his Delaware home two years ago.
“The bullet’s trajectory is so clear, just like how the campaign efforts will now be as fast [smooth] as the flying bullet,” Hu added.
“The person most harmed by Trump getting injured is not Trump himself, but his opponent, Biden,” said one commentator called Media Backpacker, cognizant of Biden’s faux pas at the recent NATO meeting.
“Just based on his quick reaction and how quickly he crouched, I’d vote Trump. If it were Biden, he probably wouldn’t have been able to crouch at all,” said another commentator on Weibo.
In addition to the political implications of the incident, there is also a lot of interest among Chinese Weibo users in the now iconic photo taken by Pulitzer Prize winner Evan Vucci, which shows Trump with his fist raised and blood flowing down the right side of his face.
“The destined son of America facing life-threatening danger, his face smeared with blood, with a clenched fist, roaring: “‘Fight! Fight!’, said blogger Pingyuan Gongzi Zhao Sheng.
“There’s no need to compare anymore; Biden is suffering a crushing defeat, and the Democrats are bewildered. This scene matches the most traditional American image in Hollywood movies. People don’t care who he is or who he serves, but the president must be tough, hard to defeat, a fearless ‘barbarian,’ a ‘man of steel’.”
The picture taken by Vucci has reached such iconic status that t-shirts with it are being sold online at prices ranging from 20 to 49 yuan (US$ 2,75-6,75).
The shooting also sparked a flurry to memes comparing Trump to a communist hero. “’Workers of the world, unite!’ Similar edits included captions like: “Long live the great and glorious Communist Party of China!” and “The bullet pierced my ear, but I can still hear the voice of the Party,” another caption read.
Some Chinese users joked about the fact that Trump was injured in the right ear just like the famous panda A Bao, bitten by one of his own, further stressing Trump’s alleged loyalty to China.
In a mocking tone, one commenter wrote: “I wish Comrade Jianguo a speedy recovery, may he continue to work hard for the ultimate mission entrusted to him by the Party.”
“Comrade Jianguo” (Jianguo tongzhi), which literally means “comrade building the country", is the sobriquet used to mock Trump on Chinese social media, implying that his actions during his presidency helped undermine the United States, boosting China's rise.
Photo: What’s on Weibo
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01/02/2022 17:38
12/03/2021 15:46
