In a cartoon published and boosted by The New York Times, President Donald Trump fantasizes about having a gay relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"In Episode Two of 'Trump Bites...' Mr. Trump’s not-so-secret admiration for President Vladimir Putin of Russia plays out in a teenager’s bedroom, where the fantasies of this forbidden romance come to life," reads the Times description.
The video was created by Academy Award-nominated animator Bill Plympton and set to audio clips of Trump praising Putin. In the video, a shirtless Trump flies on a unicorn with buff, shirtless Putin in front of a backdrop of rainbows. Trump plays with Putin's nipples before they comically and graphically make out.
The video ends with the revelation that it was all a fantasy in Trump's head, as he fires a gun into his television screen over audio of Trump defending Putin's murder of journalists.
The cartoon was published in June as the second of three videos, but went largely unnoticed until the Times' Opinion Twitter account tweeted it out Monday.
In this episode of Trump Bites, Donald Trump’s not-so-secret admiration for Vladimir Putin plays out in a teenager’s bedroom, where the fantasies of this forbidden romance come to life. https://t.co/cWeQMuzWUz pic.twitter.com/4shBRkloot
— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) July 16, 2018
The cartoon was promptly criticized by conservative pundits and reporters, who labeled the cartoon homophobic.
WTF is this?? https://t.co/ghfDsgYO1z
— Ryan Saavedra 🇺🇸 (@RealSaavedra) July 16, 2018
Whenever the left wants to lampoon someone on the right they always play the gay card. THIS is what the left thinks of gay people - they think we are a joke. This is a disgusting new low for the Times. https://t.co/dz1VbB6uTe
— Chris Barron (@ChrisRBarron) July 16, 2018
Idk why NYT Opinion section and so many others continue to use homosexuality as the punchline of their joke https://t.co/d7JW8ktsXM
— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) July 16, 2018
Oh so now homophobia is cool if it’s used to rip Trump https://t.co/HkR3rm7wZ8
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 16, 2018
This is the NY Times Opinion twitter feed. The New York Times. https://t.co/rNTt6z4bqA
— Kevin Corke (@kevincorke) July 16, 2018