A video from a July event showing Donald Trump ranting about protesters using “deadly cans of soup” against police went viral this week as the president ramped up his rhetoric against demonstrations in Portland.
“In cities across the nation, we’ve … seen police officers assaulted with bricks, rocks, bats, Molotov cocktails, frozen bottles of water,” Trump said in the footage, which was filmed during his July 31 meeting with leaders from the National Association of Police Organizations. “And then they have cans of soup. Soup. And they throw the cans of soup. That’s better than a brick because you can’t throw a brick; it’s too heavy. But a can of soup, you can really put some power into that, right?”
Trump argued that when these soup-carrying “anarchists” were arrested by law enforcement, they would claim the soup was intended to feed their family.
“And then when they get caught, they say, ‘No, this is soup for my family.’ They’re so innocent. … It’s incredible. And you have people coming over with bags of soup — big bags of soup. And they lay it on the ground, and the anarchists take it and they start throwing it at our cops, at our police. And if it hits you, that’s worse than a brick because it’s got force. It’s the perfect size. It’s, like, made perfect.”
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The remarks quickly went viral across Twitter, drawing tongue-in-cheek quips about the dangers of soup as well as mashups with the tyrannical “Soup Nazi” character from the sitcom “Seinfeld.”
He’s seriously unraveling. #TrumpIsNotWell pic.twitter.com/QKkBAHbJbr
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 1, 2020
Trump / "Soup Nazi" mashup 😂 pic.twitter.com/uQh8UZbOtL
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) September 2, 2020
As a woman in Trump’s America, I’m always aware of my level of safety. That’s why I avoid neighborhoods where people in dark shadows attack their victims with bags of soup. #BagsOfSoup
— Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) September 2, 2020
Can we just ban soup? Soup Free Zones? Soup Drills?
— Politically Incorrect (@pol1tically) September 2, 2020
Genuinely want an anti-trump rally where everyone shouts “No Soup For You!” now.
With “Soup Can” style placards everywhere 😂
— Dave (@randomdavemcc) September 2, 2020
I guess the National Soup Association must be lobbying the Democrats.
— AJS_AJS99 (@ajs_ajs99) September 2, 2020
