California Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) caused quite a stir during Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing after having a dramatic meltdown over a meme featuring former President Donald Trump holding a cat and a duck. The outburst unfolded as Swalwell attacked committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) over a lighthearted social media post that sparked laughter across the internet.
Swalwell, a frequent critic of Donald Trump and his supporters, appeared to be particularly agitated by the internet’s latest trend: AI-generated memes of Trump saving cats and ducks. The memes, which have taken off across social media platforms, were even shared by prominent figures such as Elon Musk. The images—often humorous and clearly fictitious—have been widely shared following a strange incident involving a woman in Ohio who was accused of killing and eating a cat.
The specific meme that set Swalwell off was posted by the House Judiciary GOP Twitter account, featuring a photoshopped image of Trump holding a kitten and a duck. The caption read: “Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!” The meme appeared to be a satirical jab at recent controversies involving claims about migrants allegedly eating pets, a topic that had been circulating in certain corners of the media.
Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio! pic.twitter.com/YnTZStPnsg
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) September 9, 2024
At the hearing, Swalwell couldn’t contain his frustration and lashed out at the committee’s chairman for promoting what he described as “nonsense.” Swalwell’s meltdown began with disbelief over the meme’s caption. “What in the hell is this? The chairman tweets, ‘Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio’ because he goes down some crazy rabbit hole, completely debunked, that aliens are eating pets?”
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The meltdown didn’t stop there. “I don’t know if the aliens who are eating your ducks are in the room with us right now, but Mr. Chairman, this is a serious issue. These people have loved ones who have been lost, and you tweeted this,” he continued.
The controversy surrounding cats and ducks in Ohio stems in part from a separate incident that occurred earlier this month. A 27-year-old woman named Allexis Telia Ferrell was arrested after allegedly killing a cat and eating it in front of her neighbors. According to reports, Ferrell faces multiple charges, including injuring animals, violating companion animal prohibitions, and disorderly conduct.
While the meme shared by the House Judiciary GOP was clearly satirical, it came at a time when stories of animal cruelty, particularly involving migrants, were already a point of discussion. The meme, combined with the ongoing discussion of these allegations, seemed to strike a nerve with Swalwell, who saw the post as insensitive and inappropriate given the serious topics the committee was addressing.
Trump supporters have long used memes as a tool to mock political opponents and spread their message in a light-hearted manner. The latest trend of AI-generated images depicting Trump as a savior of cats and ducks seems to be no exception.
