The Internet Has Entered the Chat

Yesterday (or possibly sometime between a court filing and a rage-post at 2:17 a.m.), social media did what social media does best:

It mocked power with Photoshop.

You may have seen the image floating around — a presidential portrait accompanied by a very… enthusiastic plaque. Not subtle. Not restrained. Not vetted by archivists, lawyers, or anyone with a pulse. Just the internet, doing civic commentary with the delicacy of a sledgehammer.

To be clear (because we live in a time where we must say this):

👉 This plaque is satire.

👉 It is not real.

👉 It was not installed at the White House.

👉 It was installed in the collective psyche of people who are very, very tired.

And honestly? That’s kind of the point.

🏛️ When You Set the Tone, You Get the Chorus

Donald Trump famously broke precedent by adding disparaging commentary to presidential traditions — including how history is framed, how respect is dispensed, and how norms are treated (spoiler: like optional garnish).

So when social media responded with a plaque that reads like a caffeine-fueled group project by fed-up citizens, it wasn’t really about him.

It was about:

• Exhaustion
• Gallows humor
• The deeply American tradition of mocking kings
• And the realization that satire is sometimes the only remaining coping mechanism

🪞 Satire Is a Mirror, Not a Verdict

The internet didn’t deliver a legal ruling.

It delivered a vibe.

A “remember this moment” energy.

A “history will have footnotes” reminder.

A “we cope with absurdity by making it more absurd” release valve.

Satire has always played this role — from court jesters to Mark Twain to late-night memes shared before bed with a sigh and a glass of wine.

😌 Why This Made Me Laugh (and Then Breathe Again)

Not because it’s accurate.

Not because it’s official.

But because it captures the collective feeling of millions of Americans saying:

“We see it. We remember it. And we’re not going to pretend it didn’t happen.”

Sometimes laughter isn’t dismissal — it’s survival.

🌱 Final Thought

History is written by scholars.

Satire is written by the people who have to live through it.

And occasionally, the people need a fake plaque, a sharp sense of humor, and the comforting reminder that no one — absolutely no one — is immune from mockery.

Tomorrow, we’ll get back to serious things.

Tonight, we laugh.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

(P.S. If you didn’t laugh at this, that’s okay too. Deep breaths are also patriotic.)

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