Let’s play a game. I want you all to close your eyes and imagine a land in which a power vacuum has led to a number of semi-qualified possible leaders vying for power. They spout a wide range of opinions, come from different lands (including one that’s pretty far north), talk about walls a lot, and have been waging a very long and drawn-out battle to rule their country.
Now open your eyes.
What did you imagine? If it was either A) the 2016 primaries or B) “Game of Thrones,” you are correct.
Now given those clear similarities, it was only a matter of time before someone made a fantastic 2016-inspired “GOT” mash-up. That day has come, with the Donald Trump-themed “Winter is Trumping.”
Essentially, the mash-up’s creator just edited Trump’s head onto the bodies of various “GOT” characters (it may or may not be a coincidence that many of the bodies belonged to the fantasy show’s most notorious villains.) The dialogue is a combination of real statements made by the Republican primary frontrunner, and real dialogue from the show.
The video was created by Huw Parkinson, of “Insiders,” an ABC political talk show in Australia. It was posted over the weekend on YouTube, and has quickly gone viral. The mash-up mostly focuses on Trump’s border policies, which seamlessly (and weirdly) fit with many issues in Westeros, including Daenerys Targaryen’s attempt to find a home for her people, and the “Wall” that keeps wildings from entering Westeros’s northern borders.
To be fair, I guess this isn’t the first attempt at a comparison between the craziness that is the 2016 primaries, and George R.R. Martin’s wildly popular book series/hit TV show. After all, here’s a Daenerys Targaryen and Hillary Clinton comparison. Thrillist did a great GOP/GOT crossover as well, entitled “Republican Candidates, Paired with their ‘Game of Thrones’ Equivalents,” and plenty of other outlets have done similar pieces. But, in my opinion, “Winter is Trumping” is my favorite combo yet–its laser-like focus and simple message takes the cake.