Fast Company picked up on photographer Pete Souza’s predilection for popping Trump’s balloons way back in February. Apparently, though, we picked up on it a little too early. Souza has only gotten more brazen since then, and this week contained some of his most blistering burns yet.
Not only has Souza continued his habit of trolling Trump, he’s stayed classy and dignified, embodying Michelle Obama’s much-echoed refrain, “When they go low, we go high.”
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First came the above image of an awed-looking boy scout shaking President Obama’s hand. Souza’s post was a response to the flabbergasting speech Donald Trump made at the annual Boy Scout Jamboree, which was alternately political and vulgar–and which included Trump goading the young boys to boo the former president. (An official spokesman for the Boy Scouts has since issued an apology to parents on Trump’s behalf, which is really something if you stop and think about it.)
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The relationship between Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been on the rocks lately. Rather than keep the discord behind closed doors, Trump has aired out the dirty laundry on Twitter, as his wont. In response, Souza put an image on Instagram of Obama standing beside his Attorney General Eric Holder, reminding his followers that any personality clashes they may have had remained in private.
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Trump caused a typical firestorm of outrage late last month when he claimed to have turned away pundit Mika Brzezinski from an event at Mar-a-Lago because she was bleeding from the face following recent plastic surgery. There are a plethora of reasons why this was a gross, misogynist, and wildly unpresidential thing to say. Souza’s response was a flurry of images that evoked not only the clear respect that President Obama displayed toward women, but the respect they returned in kind.
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While (ultimately untrue) rumors of the champion Warriors boycotting a White House visit circulated online, Souza posted a photo of star Steph Curry bonding with Obama.
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This photo contrasts the kind of work President Obama did in the wee morning hours with whatever the hell prompted the covfefe incident.
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In the six months of his presidency, Trump has spent over 40 days at one of his various properties playing golf. Of course, he tends to frame these golfing jaunts as “meetings,” a euphemism Souza couldn’t help but quietly comment on.
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After Donald Trump suggested that President Obama had been using microwaves to spy on him in Trump Tower–all these months later and it hasn’t gotten less absurd–the online memeshop got to work. Souza is likely above making any such memes himself, but he was certainly not above posting one to commemorate a remarkable moment.
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