White House pushes Trump as new James Bond amid 007 auditions announcement
WASHINGTON, DC: It appears that the long-running hunt for the next James Bond may have finally found its most unexpected contender yet.
The White House, on Saturday, May 16, posted an image of President Donald Trump as a silhouetted 007 in a faux movie poster in response to the announcement that auditions have kicked off to find the next super spy.
Amazon MGM Studios on Thursday confirmed that the search to find Daniel Craig’s successor is officially underway. However, the studio said it does not plan to reveal specific casting details at this stage.
White House turns Trump into new James Bond
Hinting at watching out with a simple caption of "👀," the White House shared an image of the President in a classic James Bond-style tuxedo, with his left hand tucked under his right arm, holding up a pistol fitted with a silencer.
The image walked on the lines of vintage 007 franchise posters with a black-and-white editing effect, making his facial features indistinct.
The poster also included the words "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump's political mantra since his first run for president in 2015.
Also visible at the bottom right corner of the image was the official 007 logo, complete with Bond's pistol jutting off the edge of the 7 like a wing.
The charismatic role of the super spy in the 007 franchise has been portrayed by several heavyweights, including Craig, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.
Trump’s new communication strategy
White House's post is the latest example of the much-controversial pattern followed by Trump’s second-term communications team, which has repeatedly inserted the president into famous films, TV shows, and pop-culture franchises through edited and AI-generated imagery.
Earlier this month, White House turned Trump into the Mandalorian as they shared a widely circulated image of the President in 'Star Wars' attire with Grogu by his side.
This marked at least the second occasion on which the Trump team digitally inserted the president into the 'Star Wars' universe, further expanding the catalogue of his AI-generated pop-culture cameos.
The first time the White House posted an image of Trump wielding a red lightsaber, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill mocked the edit by quipping, “Proof positive he’s full of Sith.”
White House’s post falls in line with the President’s growing trend of using AI-generated imagery to portray himself as a larger-than-life cultural and political figure, including Jesus.
Most recently, he apparently turned himself into an alien hunter, posting an image of himself escorting a humanoid alien figure in restraints.
