Trump Baby balloon to be displayed at Museum of London after appearing at protests around the world
The Museum of London will soon have a new display that acknowledges the Trump presidency — and its controversy. The museum has acquired the "Trump Baby" balloon that has been flown at protests around the world.
The Trump Baby was created in 2018 by British artist Matthew Bonner and was first flown over Parliament Square in London during a 2018 demonstration protesting President Trump's visit to the United Kingdom, the Museum of London said in a press release.
The balloon's first flight was approved by London Mayor Sadiq Khan after more than 10,000 people signed a petition and more than 1,000 people raised over $20,000 through a crowdfunding campaign.
The balloon has made appearances at demonstrations in cities all over the world, including in Florida in 2019 when Mr. Trump held a rally there after announcing he had switched his residency from New York to the Sunshine State.
Since 2019, the Museum of London has been hoping to acquire the balloon, which looks like a cartoon version of Mr. Trump wearing a diaper and an angry scowl.
"Having toured the world the Trump Baby blimp is now heading to its final resting place, the Museum of London, where it will be conserved and potentially displayed in the museum's future new home in West Smithfield in the coming years," the museum said in its press release.
The Trump Baby will be displayed with the museum's protest collection. Objects relating to the suffrage movement and belongings of Brian Haw, who used to actively protest outside the Houses of Parliament, are also featured in the collection, the Museum of London said.
In a statement, Museum of London Director Sharon Ament called London "an open, ever-evolving polyglot city."
"From the Suffragettes of the early twentieth century to the anti-austerity marches, free speech and Black Lives Matter most recently – the capital has always been the place to have your say," Ament continued. "By collecting the baby blimp we can mark the wave of feeling that washed over the city that day and capture a particular moment of resistance – a feeling still relevant today as we live through these exceptionally challenging times – that ultimately shows Londoners banding together in the face of extreme adversity."
The Trump Baby team said this is not the end of the symbol's story. "We hope the baby's place in the museum will stand as a reminder of when London stood against Trump – but will prompt those who see it to examine how they can continue the fight against the politics of hate," he said. "Most of all we hope the Trump Baby serves as a reminder of the politics of resistance that took place during Trump's time in office."
"This large inflatable was just a tiny part of a global movement – a movement that was led by the marginalized people whose Trump's politics most endangered – and whose role in this moment should never be underestimated," the team's statement continued.
Mr. Trump's presidency will end on Wednesday, January 20, when former Vice President Joe Biden is inaugurated as president and former Senator Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president.
The end of Mr. Trump's term has been marked by a second impeachment for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead, cementing his place in history as the only president to be impeached twice, in a bipartisan rebuke that was approved with unprecedented speed.