US President Donald Trump has jumped into a viral internet trend featuring a penguin — but the post quickly backfired after users pointed out a basic mistake.
Over the weekend, the White House shared an AI-generated image showing Trump walking across an icy landscape with a penguin by his side. The penguin was holding a US flag, while mountains in the background displayed Greenland’s flag. The post was captioned: “Embrace the Penguin.”
Within hours, the image spread rapidly across social media, crossing more than 10 million views. But instead of praise, it triggered a wave of trolling, fact-checks, and jokes.
Embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/kKlzwd3Rx7
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2026
The big problem: Penguins don’t live in Greenland
Social media users were quick to point out the obvious error — penguins do not live in Greenland or anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.
Penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere, with most species found in Antarctica. Greenland, on the other hand, is located in the Arctic, far to the north. There are no penguins at the North Pole.
Comments flooded in almost instantly:
- “There are no penguins at the North Pole.”
- “Nice try. Penguins don’t live in the Northern Hemisphere.”
- “We don’t have penguins in Greenland.”
- “Are we trying to buy Antarctica next?”
Some users shared maps showing penguin habitats, while others posted edited images replacing the penguin with a polar bear — an animal that actually lives in the Arctic.
What is the viral Penguin meme?
The penguin used in the image comes from a long-running internet meme often called the “Nihilist Penguin” or “Lonely Penguin.”
The meme dates back nearly 20 years and comes from filmmaker Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World. In the original clip, a lone Adelie penguin is seen walking away from its colony in Antarctica — not toward Greenland or anywhere else.
Over time, the clip became a symbol online for dark humor, confusion, or wandering aimlessly. Importantly, the penguin was never connected to Greenland in the original video.
Not the first AI image from the Trump team
This is also not the first time Trump or his administration has used AI-generated images to push a message.
Just days earlier, Trump shared another AI image showing himself alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, standing next to a sign that read:
“Greenland — US Territory, est. 2026.”
That image also sparked controversy, as Trump has repeatedly spoken about acquiring Greenland from Denmark, calling it important for US national security.
Internet reacts with humor — and criticism
While some users laughed it off as a harmless meme, others saw the image as another example of careless messaging around a sensitive geopolitical issue.
Several parody accounts posted their own versions of the image, while others joked that Trump might be preparing a bid for Antarctica next.
One popular comment summed up the mood online:
“The penguin is the most accurate part of this post — because neither it nor the US belongs in Greenland.”
Despite the backlash, the post continues to circulate widely, showing once again how fast a simple image can turn into a global conversation — especially when the internet spots a mistake.
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