Although he wasn't there in person, President Donald Trump made an appearance at Italy's Viareggio Carnevale over the weekend.
The float, titled, "The Master Drone," was created by Fabrizio Galli and depicted Trump as a God emperor from the Warhammer 40,000 series. In the series, the Emperor of Mankind is the greatest embodiment of universal order. As written on the parade's website, the parallelism between Trump and the character in the series has "never been more fitting."
"Donald wants to go back to the moon, travel to Mars and create the first space army," the website said. "…The time of intellectuals, philosophers and of old and worn culture is over."
The float featured Trump's head, adorned with Romanesque crown. Instead of the president's usually black or blue suit, he was dressed head to toe in gold armor and had talons instead of fingers on one of his hands.
In his hand was the Emperor's Sword, which, in the series, has the ability to slice through even the strongest armor without requiring much effort. Written on the sword were the words, "Dazi Vostri," which translates to "your duties." Near the sword's handles were four blue birds, reflecting the logo of the social media website Twitter, which the president has routinely used to berate his enemies and advocate for his positions.
Footage of the parade broadcast by NoiTv Lucca showed the massive float make its way down the parade route in Viareggio, Italy. Trump's head, hands, eyes and arms were able to move, showing him scanning the crowds that amassed for the annual event.
The Viareggio Carnevale has taken place since 1873 and is considered to be one of the most renowned festivals in Italy and Europe. Political satire has been a major component of the festival since the 1960s and this isn't the first time a float was inspired by America's president.
In 2017, the Cinquini brothers created a float featuring Trump's head amongst several cowboys. As the float, titled, "Bang, Bang," made its way through the parade route a country song played. The float was a nod to the battle over the Second Amendment in the United States.
"In the America that has elected Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, there are those who are fighting in defense of the constitutional law for the right to bear arms," the float was described by The Guardian. "The consequences, however, are clear when one looks at the long list of crimes or of domestic accidents caused by the use of guns and rifles. Just as if we were in a modern Saloon of the wild west, in the artists' view Donald Trump is the symbol of all this."
The 2019 parade took place on Saturday and Sunday and will again on February 23, March 3 and March 5. The biggest floats in the parade weigh about forty tons and the parade's route is about one and a quarter miles long.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President George W. Bush have also served as inspiration for floats in the parade.
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