CHICAGO • US President Donald Trump has received a split decision from tens of thousands of Twitter followers after he posted an image of his head superimposed on the muscular body of Rocky Balboa, a fictional boxer from the movie series Rocky.
His post on Wednesday was retweeted 124,000 times and received almost 405,000 likes as followers responded with memes and photos of their own, comparing Mr Trump's physique with that of former president Barack Obama.
Followers cheered Mr Trump on, saying there is a "fighter in the White House" and thanked him for "being our champion".
"No president has ever fought as hard as President #realDonaldTrump on behalf of hardworking, taxpaying, Constitution supporting, God-fearing, middle-and working-class, patriotic, everyday, American citizens," tweeted Allen Sutton, editor of the StewardshipAmerica.com website.
Detractors used the tweet as a chance to take swings at Mr Trump, calling the Republican president "delusional" and "narcissistic".
"Is it just me or did this Trump Rocky photo make anyone else throw up in their mouth a little?" tweeted actress Angela Belcamino.
Sylvester Stallone, who said "I love Donald Trump" in a 2016 interview, played Rocky Balboa.
Rocky IV, in which Balboa beat Russian Ivan Drago, opened in theatres on Nov 27 in 1985, which could explain why Mr Trump posted the image that day.
Mr Trump, however, did not include text in the post. Some in the media speculated that it was in reference to his ability to fight off controversy during the ongoing impeachment inquiry in Congress.
Others suggested that the image alluded to comments he made about his health during a rally in Florida, where he said doctors told him he had a "gorgeous chest" during a recent examination.
REUTERS
