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'Fire burn and cauldron bubble': Trump and the glowing orb

  • Published
    22 May 2017
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US President Donald J. Trump (R), US First Lady Melania Trump (R-2), King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia (C) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) opening the World Center for Countering Extremist Thought in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaImage source, European Photopress Agency
Image caption,

The sight of President Trump and his Saudi and Egyptian counterparts around a glowing orb has sparked online jokes

By Lamia Estatie
BBC News

An image of US President Donald Trump with his hands placed over a glowing white orb alongside Saudi King Salman and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is lighting up social media.

On Sunday, the leaders inaugurated a new centre in Riyadh aimed at combating extremist ideology. Mr Trump was on his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia where he urged regional leaders to take the lead in rooting out radicalisation.

Trump has since arrived in Israel where he will be meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Trump urges Muslim leaders to lead fight against radicalisation

Trump in Saudi Arabia: US president joins ceremonial sword dance

Among the numerous photoshops and captions of the event shared online were the opening lyrics, external from The Song of the Witches in William Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Screen grab of tweet by @BillKristolImage source, Saudi Arabia TV/Twitter/@BillKristol

As President Trump's eyes were closed in the widely shared screen grab, one Twitter user guessed, external the president was making a wish.

"For clarification, this is not a Satanic ritual," tweeted, external the Church of Satan, an international religious movement based on LaVeyan Satanism.

Screen grab of tweet by @ChurchofSatanImage source, Saudi Arabia TV/Twitter/@ChurchofSatan

While comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani joked the lit ball was the "Glowing Orb of Islamic Dominance", external, another Twitter user likened, external it to the Eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the next instalment of which "looks terrible," said, external musician Mikel Jollett.

Screen grab of tweet by @darthImage source, Saudi Arabia TV/Twitter/@darth

Scenes from the 1997 film Space Jam, external, Harry Potter, external and the 007, external film series were also referenced: "The point when the supervillains form a pact to take over the world."

Screen grab of tweet by @NickGreeneImage source, Saudi Arabia TV/Twitter/@NickGreene

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"Just some billionaires gathering in the dark and holding a glowing orb, probably fine," another user suggested, external.

One Twitter account shared, external a fake tweet by President Trump, which said: "Cyrus the Great was buried in a sceptre of tremendous power. I, king of the New World, command my people to find his tomb and recover his sceptre. None shall sleep until the sceptre is found!"

Naturally, there had to be a fabricated response, external from a Trump critic:

A fabricated tweet by Donald Trump, posted by Pixelated Boat, is met with a fabricated response from the ACLU, posted by reggiereggieImage source, Twitter

Despite the jokes, a supporter of President Trump who spent two years "working to defeat Hillary" said, external he preferred the orb to an image of Clinton altered to show her using the Sith power of force lightning from Star Wars.

By the UGC and Social News team

More on this story

  • Trump's visit galvanises Saudi tweeters

    • Published
      20 May 2017
    Photoshopped image of Donald Trump as a Saudi cleric
  • Trump abroad: What's on the agenda?

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      21 May 2017
    US President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: 21 May 2017
  • Trump to Muslims: Drive extremists out

    • Published
      22 May 2017
    Donald Trump speaking in Riyadh (21 May)

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