Trump’s Third-Term Threat: A Stardew Valley Analogy
▼ Summary
– The Trump administration used an AI-generated image parodying the game Stardew Valley to promote the return of whole milk to school lunches.
– This promotion follows a new law signed by Trump that overturns an Obama-era restriction on higher-fat milk options in schools.
– The administration has a history of using internet memes and pop culture, like Pokémon and Sabrina Carpenter’s music, for political messaging and recruitment.
– The AI image contains the number 45464748, which is interpreted as a reference to Trump being the 45th and 47th president and a suggestion of his desire for a third term.
– The article suggests this numerical reference is a “thinly veiled threat” about Trump’s political ambitions, despite legal barriers to a third term.
The recent use of an AI-generated image based on the popular video game Stardew Valley by the White House has sparked significant discussion. The image, promoting the return of whole milk to school lunches, features a pixel-art style depiction of the former president alongside a notable detail: the character’s displayed gold amount reads “45464748.” This sequence is widely interpreted as a reference to his status as the 45th and 47th president, coupled with a suggestion of a potential 48th term, directly challenging constitutional limits on presidential tenure.
While the policy change itself, reversing an Obama-era restriction on higher-fat milk in schools, is a minor footnote in a broader political record, the method of communication is telling. The administration has a history of leveraging internet culture, from Pokémon to pop music, for official messaging. This latest post transforms a benign farming simulator into a vehicle for a loaded numerical statement. The sprite, which many observers have criticized for its crude aesthetic, holds items like a MAGA hat and a police badge, framing the message within a specific ideological context.
The number “45464748” is not subtle. It directly alludes to Trump’s unprecedented political position as both a former and current president, while the final digits point toward a future ambition that would defy the 22nd Amendment. This amendment clearly restricts a president to two elected terms. The suggestion of a third term is not a new concept in this political sphere; it has been floated publicly by the figure himself and echoed by allies like former strategist Steve Bannon. The imagery, therefore, functions as a meme-worthy nod to a base familiar with these claims, simultaneously normalizing and promoting an idea that stands outside established democratic norms.
This tactic of embedding controversial political signals within the framework of beloved pop culture illustrates a modern approach to propaganda. It bypasses traditional critique by wrapping a substantive constitutional threat in the seemingly harmless veneer of a video game joke. The move attempts to reframe a fundamental challenge to American governance as merely another piece of online engagement, making it easier to disseminate and harder to seriously contest on its undemocratic merits. The developer of Stardew Valley, known as ConcernedApe, has been contacted for comment regarding the unauthorized use of the game’s aesthetic for this political messaging.
(Source: Kotaku)
