Social media exploded with laughter on Saturday when President-elect Donald Trump shared an AI-generated meme poking fun at former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The image depicted Christie hunched over a banquet of McDonald’s food as several drones hovered nearby, seemingly delivering even more fast food.
Trump posted the meme uncaptioned on Instagram, Truth Social, and X, leaving the humor open for interpretation. The response was immediate, with the meme racking up over a million likes across platforms and generating a flurry of comments that ranged from political jabs to outright hilarity.
“Democrats seething about how Trump posts memes to connect with his audience completely explains their disconnection with the working class that lost them this election,” quipped one Instagram user. Another chimed in, “BRILLIANT! Now we know what the drones in NJ are up to.”
Even U.K. rapper and podcaster Zuby got in on the fun, writing, “Space Force is up and running.”
Space Force is up and running
— ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) December 14, 2024
The meme’s timing was perfect. It followed Christie’s recent remarks criticizing the spread of “conspiracy theories” surrounding the mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey and other parts of the northeast. Christie, once a Trump ally but now a vocal critic, also called on the Biden Administration and state officials to be more transparent about their response to the ongoing drone mystery.
While the meme had social media in stitches, the actual drone sightings remain a serious issue. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged on ABC’s This Week that his department is currently limited in its ability to counter the drones and called for expanded authority to deal with such threats. The sightings, which include reports of drones with wingspans up to eight feet, have evaded even advanced tracking attempts by local authorities.
For instance, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department in New Jersey recently tried to tail one of the drones with its own industrial-grade drone, only to be outmaneuvered. According to NewsNation, the drone “easily evaded” their efforts, leaving officials with few answers about its origin or purpose.
Trump’s playful jab at Christie highlights their increasingly strained relationship. Christie has been openly critical of Trump in recent years, but the president-elect’s ability to needle his former ally with a viral meme shows how Trump uses humor and social media to galvanize his audience. It’s a strategy that has served him well, connecting with supporters while often leaving critics scrambling to keep up.
The meme also underscores Trump’s knack for capitalizing on trending topics—in this case, the mysterious drones over New Jersey—and tying them into his broader political narrative. Whether poking fun at opponents or pointing out perceived government inefficiencies, Trump’s posts continue to dominate online conversations, much to the dismay of his detractors.
