In the era of meme culture and AI, even politics isn’t safe from the trend. One such similar situation happened recently when an AI image featuring Donald Trump walking with a penguin toward icy mountains took over social media. But what was supposed to be a symbolic post opened gates of mockery, trolls, and fact-checks about Greenland and penguins.
The context of this trend goes back to when, a few days ago, Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing beside an American flag and a sign declaring Greenland as a US territory. In the image, Trump is shown holding the American flag next to a marker that reads, “Greenland—US territory est. 2026.”
This visual created a buzz, especially since Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark in the past.
Embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/kKlzwd3Rx7
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2026
Adding to that, the White House joined the online trends and posted another AI-generated image. This time, it showed Trump walking alongside a penguin toward icy mountains. The penguin is seen holding the US flag, while the mountains display Greenland’s flag. The caption read: “Embrace the penguin.”
As soon as this post was published, netizens were quick to react. But rather than sparking curiosity, this post invited trolls and backlash.
Users immediately called out the mistake. One commenter wrote, “Nice try. We don’t have penguins here in Greenland.” Another added, “And they certainly don’t have man-sized footprints or strides. It’s just so embarrassing that they put this out.”
Journalist Pippa Crerar from The Guardian also commented and wrote, “You don’t get penguins in the Arctic.”
The penguin clip originates from Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World. The footage shows a lone penguin leaving its colony and wandering deeper into Antarctica. Over time, this evolved into what many now call the “Nihilist Penguin,” “Lonely Penguin,” or “Wandering Penguin” meme.
However, in the original documentary, the penguin isn’t walking toward Greenland, rather its heading deeper into Antarctica, wandering away from its colony and the sea
Some users edited the image to replace the penguin with a polar bear. Others shared a version where a penguin tells Trump, “This is Antarctica.”
Following the White House post, social media users pointed out that “The image featured a penguin—an animal that does not inhabit the Arctic.”
The United States may have turned its attention to Greenland through a viral meme, but instead of sparking intrigue, it became a geography lesson.
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