The article examines the cultural and artistic response to Donald Trump's presidency, tracing how artists and critics initially invoked Alfred Jarry's absurdist character Ubu to make sense of Trump's first term. It argues that the second term has moved beyond farce into a normalized, active remaking of the international political order, with Trump pursuing overt imperial ambitions that exceed Jarry's original satire.
The analysis matters because it positions contemporary political critique within a longer art-historical framework, linking Trump's rise to a symbolist archetype of vulgar autocracy. It highlights the limitations of artistic satire when confronting a reality that absorbs and surpasses absurdity, questioning the efficacy of cultural resistance in an era where farce becomes policy. The piece serves as a critical reflection on the role of art and criticism in responding to authoritarianism.