U.S. President Donald Trump, wearing no pants, will feature at German carnival celebrations as one of the traditionally satirical and provocative floats.
Organizers showcased the carnival floats in the cities of Mainz and Cologne in Germany Tuesday.
They also included Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a sinking boat, with his conservative predecessor and erstwhile rival, Angela Merkel, spearing the boat with a trident.
Another was of Markus Soeder, the state premier of Bavaria – who frequently posts pictures of meals he eats on social media – sitting on top of a heap of sausages and dried meats, and with a sausage sticking out of his mouth.
The figures will be shown on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), the peak of the German carnival season, a period characterized by excess ahead of the rigours of Lent, the 40 days of fasting that traditionally precede Easter.
“We have a whole lot of political motifs … probably the most spectacular one is Donald Trump dancing with the Statue of Liberty,” said Michael Bonewitz, a spokesperson for the Mainz Carnival Association (MCV), which traces its roots back to 1838.
Trump is shown with the word “ICE” written on his right buttock, a reference to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that is currently carrying out a controversial crackdown in the United States.
Trump’s administration has faced heavy backlash after federal immigration agents shot and killed two American citizens within weeks in Minnesota.
A second carnival float seen in Cologne, Germany, once again depicts Trump with no pants.
He is depicted with a series of kiss marks on his rear, with “Starmer,” “Fifa,” “EU,” and other names written near the lip marks.
A sign points to his bottom with the words “kiss here!”
Last year’s Carnival celebrations were overshadowed in Germany by a deadly car-ramming.
“Of course, this is always a challenge, and the challenge is constantly growing because security requirements are becoming increasingly stringent,” said Bonewitz.
“But you have to acknowledge that there will certainly be a limit; you can’t protect yourself against everything.”
