Trump Baby, the infamous blimp that floated above Parliament during the president’s U.K. visit, will soon be making its way across the pond.
Didier Jimenez-Castro, an activist from Hillsborough, New Jersey, was so inspired by the protest in London that he started his own GoFundMe to bring “Baby Trump” to the United States.
“I thought we could bring it here and mess with him,” Jimenez-Castro told the Bridgewater Courier News. “It's humorous and funny.”
In less than 24 hours, the campaign surpassed its goal of $4,500. And as of Tuesday, it’s received more than 816 donations totaling over $17,000.
Jimenez-Castro is looking to fly the diaper-clad, cellphone-holding president above Bedminster, New Jersey where Trump owns his own golf course, the Trump National Golf Club.
“I got together with local organizers and we agreed we need to bring ‘Baby Trump’ to Bedminster where he plays golf,” he said. “Within 22 hours, we reached our goal. I contacted the manufacturer again and we will have our balloon by mid-August.”
The local organizers Jimenez-Castro is referring to is the People's Motorcade, a grassroots group in Bedminster that gathers outside Trump’s golf course every Saturday in the summer to “resist” the administration, whether the president is there or not.
Jim Girvan, the founder of the group and the chair of the Branchburg Democratic Party, said he and Jimenez-Castro received permission from the original organizers in London to use their balloon design. The two are still finalizing the orders, but since they’ve raised more than triple their goal, they’re now “expecting triplets.”
Given your generous response we are expecting triplets! Traveling coast-to-coast, border-to-border. Our goal is to make Baby Trump available to organized Resistance groups around the country. Contact us at babytrumptour@gmail.com.
— Baby Trump Tour (@babytrumptour) July 17, 2018
“Given your generous response we will be purchasing more than one Baby so we can go coast-to-coast, border-to-border,” the page reads. “Our goal is to make Baby Trump available to various locations around the country. Dozens of locations have reached out to us. Therefore, we are building a Team to manage the tour to make sure that Baby gets as much exposure as possible. We will be reaching out to organized Resistance groups to help with this efforts.”
Get ready; that means “Baby Trump” may be coming to a city near you. It looks like Philadelphia is already on the list.
“We need to get under his skin as much as we can,” Jimenez-Castro told the Bridgewater Courier News. “It will be a great tool to undermine him. He hates it because he has a huge ego.”
But according to Jimenez-Castro, its about more than just being a thorn in Trump’s side.
“At the end of the day, the balloon is not just a balloon,” he explained. “But it represents all his bad policies when it comes to immigration, when it comes to climate change, when it comes to his policies overseas, war and all the domestic issues we have here like hate, Nazis and all those subjects that are coming back from the shadows."
"We won't do just protests, but use the balloon as a tool to bring people together and talk about candidates running in your district and if are you registered or do you need help registering to vote,” he added. "Do you want to talk about policies? We need not to be just anti-Trump, but we have to work together in the community and change the broken system that we have.”
If they’re looking to be more than “just anti-Trump,” someone should tell them a giant ballon of our president dressed as an infant might be sending the wrong message.
UPDATE:
"Trump Baby" might want to watch his back. A Trump supporter has started a GoFundMe page of her own: "Operation: POP Trump Balloon."
Kathie Kitt Conklin of Manchester, New Jersey says she is "tired of people disrespecting our President" and plans to put a stop to the protest. The crowdfunding page is to raise money for her bail in case her efforts land her in jail.
"I plan on taking out this ridiculous balloon, but as everyone is aware.. Trump supports end up in Jail while Liberals walk away with not even a slap on the wrist," the page reads. "This go Fund me page is set up for Bail in case I become arrested. which is likely. If anyone is interested in supporting this cause. Please feel free to donate. It's time we took our country back.. and not with Violence, but with Morals for the love of our country! GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
So far, the campaign has only raised $55 of its $1,000 goal. And, unlike the Trump Baby Tour, hasn't received the warmest response.
"[L]ol what a sad little girl you must be. Good luck with your quest of hatred," wrote one user. "I’ll be sure to report this premeditated act of violence to the authorities."
"A premeditated conspiracy to commit vandalism. I’ll let the prosecutors know where to look," wrote another.
They have a point. Publicly announcing your plans to destroy someone else's property probably wasn't the smartest idea. A simple counter protest would've sufficed.
If we're being honest, both groups are acting pretty childish, here.
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