An absurd cartoon frog is planted in the background of an image shared by President Donald Trump, proclaiming that he's "on a mission from God."
The cartoon — small, but out of place in the black and white photograph of a city street — is Pepe the Frog, a web comic character flagged as a hate symbol following the far-rights adoption of the character over a decade ago. Pepe's inclusion, which may go unnoticed by many scrollers, initially feels like a jolting distraction from the photo's messaging.
"HE'S ON A MISSION FROM GOD" is emblazoned across the top of the image. A solemn Trump sporting one of his expansive ties and a knee-length dress coat billowing gently in the breeze is overlaid in the center foreground, backlit by street lamps. At the president's feet, mid-step on pavement slick with rain, are the words: "NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT IS COMING."
The non-secular declaration, echoing past comments from Trump suggesting that his presidency is divinely ordained, is enough to alarm some, but it's only one layer of the onion.
"Nothing can stop what is coming" is a calling card for QAnon, the far-right group who claims — without evidence — that a powerful secret cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles are plotting against Trump, among other conspiracies. The phrase is used by QAnon members to reference an impending judgment day targeting the deep state.
The image, shared by Trump Wednesday night on Truth Social, is watermarked by @FruitSnacks, a Truth Social meme account whose work the president has shared previously. While it's unclear if Trump was aware of Pepe the Frog's surprise appearance in the meme, he is aware of the meme's existence.
In October 2015, Trump retweeted an image of Pepe as Trump, standing at a podium in front of an American flag. "Trump PEPE confirmed," an anonymous user wrote on 4chan. Pepe was embraced by many in the MAGA movement, including the eldest Trump son, Don Jr.
Though Pepe has been used in a vast array of internet memes, his use by the alt right became prevalent enough that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lists Pepe as a white supremacist, antisemitic hate symbol. In 2016, the Daily Beast interviewed a white nationalist who said there was "an actual campaign to reclaim Pepe." The campaign is a pain point for Pepe's creator Matt Furie, who has condemned his cartoon's appearance in hateful content.
Pepe's cameo in Trump's "mission from God" may not translate to a direct code, but it's an undeniable nod to a subset of Trump's most online supporters.
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