‘Comparatively, our protests here suck. I mean, where did they get that giant Trump fidget spinner? That’s amazing!’
MANILA – American late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel took notice of the effigy of US President Donald Trump that was set on fire by protesters during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila on November 13.
In a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the popular TV host said that the US President received an “exceptionally warm welcome” from Filipinos, before showing clips from the protests in Manila.
“Comparatively, our protests here suck. I mean, where did they get that giant Trump fidget spinner? That’s amazing!” Kimmel said.
Created by the Filipino artist group Ugat Lahi, the effigy featured Trump with 4 arms resembling the Nazi swastika, a symbol of auhoritarian rule, hatred, and anti-Semitism. Trump has long had a following among white supremacist groups attracted to his nationalist rhetoric on immigration and other hot-button issues.
Behind Trump’s legs, a caricature of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte can be seen crouching.
Kimmel also described Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as “an absolute lunatic” and a “murderer.”
“He encourages the police to kill people who use drugs. No trials. They just kill people. Of course, he and Donald get along,” Kimmel said.
Duterte’s violent anti-illegal drugs campaign has drawn criticism from both local and international communities. Latest “official” data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) shows that at least 3,850 people have been killed in police operations, while at least 2,290 others were killed mostly by unknown vigilantes.
The protesters burned the effigy as they marked the fifth day of their protests during the ASEAN Summit.
Foreign netizens react
Other foreign netizens were also amused by the Filipino-made effigy. Below were some of the tweets they posted after seeing the Manila protests: