Donald Trump is the president of the United States again. It’s a development that will have a significant political impact on the U.S., Canada and around the world.
But, if the inauguration events taking place in Washington, D.C. this week are any indication, Trump’s presidency will also be filled with a chaotic stream of bizarre memes and viral moments. Here are 10 that are lighting up the internet.
1. Melania Trump donned a kiss-proof hat
The first lady attended her second inauguration wearing a slim-fit navy silk-and-wool coat and skirt set by American designer Adam Lippes. But it was her hat — a wide, flat-brimmed, low-slung chapeau that doubled as an intimacy deterrent — that ignited social media, as her husband tried, and failed, to snag a kiss during this morning’s proceedings.
2. Trump saluted the “leatherman”
The incoming president did the viral “Trump dance” during the Village People’s performance of the MAGA staple, “Y.M.C.A,” on Sunday evening. But more importantly — at least according to those who spend their time on the internet — Trump also took a moment to offer an earnest salute to the Village Person dressed as a biker, a.k.a “leatherman.”
This was both an interesting moment and an educational one: turns out that all “chaps” have no seat, making the term ”assless chaps” a tautology.
3. Elon Musk gave an ill-advised “salute”
Expect to see a lot of Elon Musk during the next four years. The tech titan and world’s richest man will head up Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On Monday afternoon, speaking at an inauguration event, Musk thanked his audience before pounding his chest and shooting out his right arm. He then turned around and repeated the gesture. “My heart goes out to you,” he said.
The moment immediately drew comparisons to the “Sieg Heil” Nazi salute.
“You saw him come out with that odd-looking salute,” CNN anchor Erin Burnett noted during a TV broadcast.
The ensuing fervour on social media was more blunt. “They put you in prison in Germany if you do that,” Canadian politics commentator Stephen Maher wrote on X. Others defended Musk on social media, saying that the gesture was not intentional.
4. Barron Trump grabbed the attention of basketball recruiters
Since Trump was first elected, much ink has been spilled about the president’s ”large adult sons,” Donald Jr. and Eric. But Trump’s youngest child, Barron, has largely evaded the spotlight.
That may be about to change, given that Barron is now 18 and looks looks like he could an up-and-coming shooting guard for Washington Wizards. Indeed, standing behind the president’s podium at Monday’s inauguration, the baby-faced Barron towered over the other attendees.
But exactly how tall is Barron? Google has him listed at 2.06 metres, which is almost 6 foot 8. However, he was listed at 6 foot 7 during his graduation from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach last May. That’s at least four inches taller than his father, who is listed at 6 foot 3, or 1.9 metres.
5. A parade of billionaires spent the morning with the incoming president
Trump kicked off his morning Monday with a pre-inauguration visit to St. John’s Church. Among those in attendance were several tech and media tycoons. These included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (net worth $239.4 billion), Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg (net worth $211.8 billion), Apple CEO Tim Cook (net worth $2.2 billion), Google CEO Sundar Pichai (net worth $2.1 billion), media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (net worth $22.2 billion), TikTok CEO Shou Zi (net worth $1.5 billion) and Tesla founder Elon Musk (net work $433.9 billion). (All figures U.S.)
Together, these men, who also had front-row seats to the inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda, have a combined wealth of nearly $1 trillion.
“Congrats on defeating the establishment,” one X user commented.
Carrie Underwood’s highly anticipated performance at Trump’s inauguration nearly went off the rails on Monday afternoon, after technical difficulties forced her to stand in awkward silence for about 60 seconds, before deciding to sing “America the Beautiful” without musical accompaniment. To her credit, the a cappella performance went off without a hitch.
7. Senator Fetterman kept it casual
Trump’s official swearing-in ceremony was moved inside the Capitol Rotunda due to forecasts of “intense cold weather,” with temperatures dipping below zero around noon. But the chilly air did not seem to bother Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who arrived at the Capitol wearing a baggy pair of shorts and a black Carhartt hoodie. Though Fetterman is known for his casual attire, he was spotted wearing a suit for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress last summer.
8. Lee Greenwood hawked his new Trump-themed bibles
During the Fox News broadcast of the pre-inauguration events on Sunday evening, American singer and saxophonist Lee Greenwood — whose song “God Bless the U.S.A. has been a staple at Republican rallies and conventions since Ronald Reagan was president — took the opportunity to promote the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, a version of the King James translation of the holy book that he and Trump are selling to supporters for $59.99.
“When Donald Trump puts his hand on the bible and swears an oath to take care of the country … I’m hoping it’ll be this bible, which is released tomorrow, as a tribute to Donald Trump,” Greenwood said. It’s unclear whether this happened.
9. The Obama-Bush starred in buddy comedy no one asked for
George W. Bush appeared to be having a good time at the inauguration on Monday. “I love George Bush and his 10-year-old-Christmas-concert-spirit,” one X user wrote, posting a video of 43rd president smirking in his seat.
But leave it to Barack Obama to steal the show with a clever retort after a staffer asked Bush if was going to behave himself as the two former president’s made their way through the Capitol Rotunda. “Nope,” Obama quipped.
10. Hillary Clinton chuckled at Trump’s plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico
The former first lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was seen laughing as the newly-sworn in Donald Trump reiterated his plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The plan will be enacted “a short time from now,” Trump said during his address, promising that this would be one of his first executive orders as president.
