The White House got a cold reception when it posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of US President Donald Trump walking with a penguin — in Greenland.
Social media users were quick to point out that penguins almost exclusively live in the southern hemisphere, with only the Galapagos penguin species found just north of the equator, still thousands of miles from Greenland, which is mostly in the Arctic Circle.
Trump has repeatedly said that the United States, the key force in NATO, deserves ownership of Greenland, as it would be forced to defend the island against Russia or China, although neither country holds any claim to it.
Last Wednesday, the US president announced that he had reached a framework for a deal that satisfies him on Greenland, as he backed down on threats to both seize the island by force from Denmark and to impose tariffs on European allies. Greenland, an autonomous territory, wants to remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a position held by the Danish government and backed by key European countries.
The following day, the White House posted to its X social media feed a photo showing Trump alongside a penguin holding a US flag as they walk across a vast snowscape. To remove any doubt, in the distance, the flag of Greenland was waving from a pole.
“Embrace the penguin,” the White House wrote in a comment on the image.
Embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/kKlzwd3Rx7
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2026
The post drew a slew of responses pointing out the geographic gaffe; others posted their own AI images or videos lampooning the original, with a common theme being polar bears, which, unlike penguins, are native to the Arctic Circle, attacking Trump.
China’s official Xinhua state news outlet also had a go, posting a photo of a Trump-shaped Uncle Sam figure, clutching a baseball bat in one hand and dragging a penguin on a leash with the other.
“Even if there are penguins in Greenland, it would be like this…” the agency wrote.
Even if there are penguins in #Greenland, it would be like this… @WhiteHouse #USA #Hegemony pic.twitter.com/X9lwM3yE1F
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 24, 2026
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., joined in, posting an AI video of himself walking with a penguin that carried the slogan, “Make America Healthy Again.”
MAHA ???? pic.twitter.com/SVm8RW7xml
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) January 23, 2026
The Department of Defense’s rapid response X account posted an image of a penguin with servicemen from various branches of the military and the slogan “Be a warrior, embrace the penguin.”
Be a warrior, embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/64Fq7REgsZ
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) January 24, 2026
The White House responded to the criticism with a follow-up post saying, “The penguin does not concern himself with the opinions of those who cannot comprehend.”
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