May 23, 2017
Twitter would be a considerably more boring place hadn’t Donald Trump won the presidency.
For better or worse, I think we can all agree that he’s energized the platform with takes of all temperatures along the buffalo-wing continuum.
This weekend was a case study in that dynamic, as the president embarked upon his first international trip in office.
There were battles over whether he bowed to Saudi King Salman when being presented with the The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal.
There was friction over whether Melania Trump swatted his hand away on a Tel Aviv airport tarmac.
And then, there was “The Orb.”
On Sunday night, he joined King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in placing their hands upon “an orb that lit up upon their touch.”
That the moment inaugurated a counterterrorism center was lost in an onslaught of comic-book, science-fiction movie, Lord of the Rings and other memes. Even Breitbart News got in on the action!
There was a great explainer of the moment itself in The Atlantic. You should really read it for some sorely needed context.
Considering the fact that all writers are ethically required to weigh in on the online trends of the day, I would be remiss not to share my favorite Tweet about the orb.
It was posted Sunday night, so I apologize in advance for the delay, especially if you were one of the folks responsible for a combined 154,714 retweets or likes bestowed upon just eight words issued by The Church of Satan on Twitter.
For clarification, this is not a Satanic ritual. pic.twitter.com/CccP39fqN4
— The Church Of Satan (@ChurchofSatan) May 22, 2017
Who knew the face of evil had such a sharp sense of humor?
We're so screwed. Thoughts and prayers for all.
