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Donald Trump's run for president is the meme to end all memes

The Donald is running for president, but he could be just as likely to win "meme generator of a generation." CNET's Eric Mack says the Internet needs to step up its game first.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials
  • Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Eric Mack
2 min read

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America, it is time to seize the meme-ent! Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

All hands on deck, Internet! On Tuesday morning, you were gifted the greatest meme-generation machine ever when real estate mogul, reality television star, Birther and general loudmouth Donald Trump finally announced he's seeking the Republican nomination for the American presidency.

Let's get one thing straight at the outset: I'm not concerned today with the man's politics, his policy ideas or his vision for the country. I mean, we will celebrate the Fourth of July twice between now and the general election in 2016, so there's plenty of time to deal with all that later.

What I am interested in is the sheer volume of meme-worthy material Trump has generated over the decades that is currently just sitting on the Internet waiting to be Photoshopped, YouTubed, Vined, Instagrammed, Facebooked, Tweeted or Tumblred. The meme potential here is just off the charts, even more so than what we saw from the recent Mayweather-Pacquiao meme-pocalypse.

For example, are you even aware that this man has his own frickin' board game (allegedly a pretty good one, to boot)? And have you seen the below video of Trump shaving Vince McMahon's head during Wrestlemania 23?

At CNET's Crave blog, we tend to get excited even by meme-worthy stunt campaigns, like when Darth Vader ran for the highest office in Ukraine, but here we have a real campaign with real supporters centered around a man who recently received far lower favorability ratings than Harry Potter's Voldemort. Just in case you're not buying those ratings, "Silicon Valley" star Kumail Nanjiani backed up the sentiment upon hearing the news today:

America, we are talking about a man whose hair has generated its own submemes in the past.

Even the Democratic National Committee took a moment to troll Trump following his announcement, releasing what would seem to be its first completely sarcastic response to a candidate's announcement this election cycle:

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Democratic National Committee
And yet, with all this potential, the Trump meme game remains relatively weak. Here's one of the best we've seen so far on Twitter:

And this meme submission is recycled from Trump's aborted 2012 threatened presidential campaign. (Did you really think I wouldn't know?)

We can do better than this, Internet. We are talking about a presidential candidate with preexisting catchphrases, people! I challenge all of you to come together and deliver on this potential meme-dream that has been handed down upon high from Trump Tower today.

Unless you're not up to it, in which case... you're all fired.