'Embrace the penguin?' Donald Trump's meme on Greenland gets fact-checked by the Internet

Humour or confusion? President Donald Trump has previously made public statements about his plans to purchase Greenland from Denmark, but the recent viral meme that has been circulating on social media is probably the first instance where Trump has used humorous intent regarding Greenland.

Leaning into the viral trend, the White House posted an AI-generated picture of Donald Trump who can be seen walking against a backdrop of icy mountains with a penguin alongside, leaving behind a trail of footsteps.

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On Saturday, the White House shared a post on X where Donald Trump can be seen eyeing the Arctic island while walking hand-in-hand with a penguin holding the American flag. The post reads, "Embrace the penguin." At the time of publishing, the post had garnered more than 28 million views and was liked by more than 1.5 lakh people.

The meme, which originated in 2007 with Werner Herzog's documentary 'Encounters at the End of the World' features a lone Adelie penguin breaking away from its colony and walking towards the South Pole. Over time, the clip has evolved to include many variations, with many now calling the meme "nihilist penguin", "lonely penguin" and "wandering penguin".

Not a first for Trump

However, this is not the first time Trump can be seen in an AI avatar. Recently, the US President shared an AI image showing himself standing next to an American flag, establishing Greenland as a US territory. Vice-president JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can also been seen standing behind him. The captain reads, "Greenland - US territory est. 2026."

Internet teaches a lesson

However, it seems the picture didn't go over well as Internet users were smart enough to teach the US President a lesson. Penguins don't live in Greenland. These seabirds are only found in countries or regions in the Southern Hemisphere, with the largest population in Antarctica.

In contrast, Greenland is in the Northern Hemisphere, which was a clear mistake noted by users. X users gave the White House a harsh reality check, with some of the fitting replies featuring their own AI-generated content.

A user shared their own AI version where Trump can be seen leading a colony of penguins while another shows him being chased by a polar bear!

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One user wrote, "There are no penguins in Greenland you morons." Responding to the massive footprints, another said, "And they certainly don't have man-size footprints or stride. It's just so embarrassing that they put this out."

The official X account of the Chief Mouser to the UK Cabinet Office also weighed in, stating, "Cat check: Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere."

Trump's desire to acquire Greenland

Trump's idea of buying Greenland dates back to one month into his presidency in 2025, and has recently gained traction, culminating this past weekend when he announced a 10 per cent tariff against eight European countries affecting an important part of the EU. Many investors were impacted by this news.