Johnny Depp took aim at President Donald Trump during a bizarre Comic-Con appearance, merging a promotion for his Christmas movie, “Ebenezer,” with a scathing critique of the President's tariff policies.
Dressed as Scrooge, Depp emerged from a fake storefront labeled “Scrooge & Marley,” catching the crowd off guard.
Fans greeted him with “Merry Christmas!” to which he replied in character, “Do you have jobs? It seems as though you have so much spare time. Why are you here?” He added, “I can only say you’re all very, very strange people. Humbug!”
In a fit of theatricality, Depp tore garlands from the gates, declaring, “These are poison! Keep these away from children.”
When another performer objected to his antics, Depp shot back, “That’s on my property, which means that I own it.”
He then pivoted to a jab at Trump’s tariffs, stating, “And that you’re paying tax on it being there, ’cause everybody has to pay all that stuff. Putting tariffs on the gate.”
Trump's latest tariffs impose double-digit levies on numerous U.S. trading partners, citing their failure to enforce bans on goods produced by forced labor.
Depp has a history of mocking Trump, but this marked a unique instance of doing so while embodying a Dickensian character. Previously, he portrayed Trump in a 2016 satirical version of “Trump: The Art Of The Deal.”
In 2016, before Trump’s election, Depp remarked that the prospect of a Trump presidency was historically exciting because it signaled “we will see the actual last president of the United States.”
He further claimed, “It just won’t work after that.”
In 2017, Depp stirred controversy by asking an audience in Glastonbury, England, “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” eliciting cheers from the crowd.
He later walked back the comment, stating he “intended no malice” and was “only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone.”
