Why the Nihilist Penguin Meme Is Everywhere as Politicians and Donald Trump Join the Trend?
The “Nihilist Penguin” meme is the latest social media phenomenon, sparking discussions about geography and existentialism that reached the White House. The video of a penguin moving from his group to distant mountains in Antarctica has become viral. It has been dubbed the “Nihilist Penguin” by netizens.
This trend is based on a scene from Werner Herzog’s 2007 film Encounters at the End of the World. The clip shows an Adelie Penguin marching away from the colony and toward the barren interiors of Antarctica. This journey is usually fatal. Many social media users have viewed the images as being a powerful symbol of loneliness, defiance and the search for meaning.
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Embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/kKlzwd3Rx7
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2026
Online commentary has revealed that the Nihilist Penguin Meme is a popular canvas on which users can project their feelings of disillusionment and burnout. It feels lonely. “It feels existential.” “It feels human,” a X user commented. One user wrote, “The penguin editing goes viral because the image shows what people are feeling inside. They feel trapped in an unfulfilling, boring or toxic life, such as a boring job, fake friendships or the same old routine, which slowly destroys their soul.”
Picture of the "Nihilist Penguin" who went towards the mountains. pic.twitter.com/BvoEioSE78
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) January 23, 2026
This trend was further boosted when the White House’s social media account posted an AI-generated picture of Donald Trump, the former president at that time, walking with a penguin. This image included a U.S. and Greenland flags with the caption “Embrace The Penguin.” It was seen as an allusion to Trump’s interest in buying Greenland.
The message from the White House is clear:
— Rasmus Jarlov (@RasmusJarlov) January 24, 2026
Trump belongs in Greenland as much as penguins do. https://t.co/wkl2F0Sim0
The post was immediately criticized for its geographical errors. The critics pointed out that the penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere and not the Arctic, where Greenland lies. “Penguins don’t live in Greenland. “But ignorance is alive in the White House,” a user wrote on X.
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Denmark also had a political response to Greenland’s implied message. Rasmus Jarlov is a Conservative Member of Parliament in Denmark who responded to the article with sarcasm. Jarlov, who is a Conservative MP in Denmark, responded to the post with sarcasm.
The Nihilist Penguin Meme is still dominating timelines. Users find comfort in its solitary walk. One user summarized this sentiment by saying: “We’re all penguins heading to the mountains, and we have no explanation to give.”
