Former President Donald Trump Sparks Mixed Reactions Online for His Strange Eclipse-Theme Ad

Former President Donald Trump made waves Sunday night with a crazy campaign ad on Truth Social, featuring his head as a celestial stand-in for the moon, eclipsing the sun and casting America into darkness, according to HOLA. Leveraging the solar eclipse as a striking metaphor, Trump seized the moment to advance his campaign agenda, cleverly tying it to the upcoming November 2024 election. It appeared to suggest that Trump's candidacy would metaphorically eclipse the sun, casting the entire planet into darkness and leaving many puzzled by its message. Although some liked the creativity of the video, other social media users critiqued the ad heavily. 

One person shared the video on X and wrote, "Trump just debuted his latest campaign ad, “Eclipse” …and it’s hilarious." Another person wrote, "Ah. So Trump getting "in front" of Biden will plunge America into darkness? (You know. Just like an eclipse)." He added, "You also forgot to include the next frame, you know, the one where the sun reemerges. Eclipses are temporary. Like Trump. This meme isn't the own you think it is." A third user wrote, "The November 5, 2024 Trump Eclipse is the real deal." Furthermore, several others also made fun of the former president by calling him "insane" and "full of ego."

At the same time, a few social media users also appreciated Trump's sense of humor and defended him. One user wrote, "Why is that bizarre? It was meant to be funny! Did you completely lose your sense of humor or do you just want to jab Trump for anything and everything? Dear God stop it." Another person wrote, "One of the best political campaign ads of all time." A third user wrote, "Absolutely the best most original campaign ad in the history of politics."

The video begins with a sentence reading, “The most important moment in human history is taking place in 2024.” Projected against the blazing sun, along with a gripping musical score, the image unfolds dramatically. Massive crowds, wearing protective eyewear, gather in anticipation of the celestial spectacle. The footage also transitions between the mesmerized onlookers and the solar canvas above. 

Yet, contrary to expectations, it's not the moon that casts its shadow. Instead, the silhouette of former President Trump's head comes up, adorned with his signature quiff, prominent eyebrows, and elongated neck. As his head covers the sun, creating its eclipse, a cryptic message pops up into view: “We will save America... And make it great again.” The advertisement commences with the iconic score from 2001, showcasing a montage of diverse faces, subtly referring to the upcoming election.

In related news, Trump's interpretation of the April 8 eclipse marked seven years since his memorable moment during the previous solar eclipse, a moment that was circulating on social media and also made a resurgence ahead of Monday's event. Furthermore, a vast majority of the U.S. population was able to witness the eclipse in some capacity; Monday's eclipse lasted an impressive four minutes and 28 seconds.

Amidst the several events that unfolded during his tenure, one of the most popular images from Trump's presidency to have resurfaced on the internet captured the then-president, accompanied by the first lady, standing on the White House terrace, gazing directly into the sun during a solar eclipse, as reported by The Independent. Despite expert counsel advising against direct sun-gazing, regardless of the degree of coverage, the former President defied caution and took off his protective eyewear to fix his gaze towards the sun. Therefore, this time around, the former President found himself becoming the subject of online trolling yet again.