Inflatable Trump chicken spotted outside White House
The prop represents a president who is afraid, says owner
An inflatable chicken mimicking US President Donald Trump is set up on The Ellipse, a 52-acre (21-hectare) park located just south of the White House and north of the Washington Monument. PHOTO: AFP
A stone's throw away from the White House stands an inflatable chicken with a golden coiffure in protest of the Donald Trump administration.
The 30-feet tall bird, referred to as 'Chicken Don', stands between the official residence of the US president and the famous Washington Monument, the BBC reported.
Owner Taran Singh Brar said the prop represents a president who is "afraid".
In a video posted on social media on Wednesday, activist and documentary maker Brar said he hoped to "bring awareness" to what he said was a "bad and destabilising" US president.
"We are out here to criticise our president for being weak and ineffective as a leader," he said, adding that Trump also "seems afraid" to release his tax returns.
"He seems afraid to stand up to Putin and now he's playing a game of chicken with North Korea."
Permission to set up the inflatable fowl, which was funded through the crowdsourcing website GoFundMe, had to be acquired from the US Secret Service, according to local media.
In April, the large bird appeared at marches across the US as demonstrators called on Trump to release his tax returns.
The balloon was made in China after the success of a Trump-like rooster designed as a prop to celebrate the Chinese New Year in January.
The inflatable's arrival has divided opinion on social media, with Twitter users at odds over whether the stunt was "pathetic" or "cute".
"Not a comment on Trump or his presidency, but I just kind of love the inflatable chicken with Trump hair. It is really cute!" wrote Eva Ulrich.
Another Twitter user, Scott Presler, wrote: "President Trump tells nuclear power North Korea there will be 'Fire & fury' and democrats inflate a chicken? Insanity."
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"The left would rather spend $1300 on a #TrumpChicken, than use that money to feed the homeless. The obsession continues," wrote Scott.
This argument was countered by Eugene, with a tweet that simply read: "Now we have a real President. #TrumpChicken."
Meanwhile, Bryce Tache said that although the stunt was "juvenile", this was not necessarily a bad thing: "Yes, #TrumpChicken is juvenile. But he makes me ridiculously happy. I needed him today. What about you?"