This past weekend, Joker made cinema history when it surpassed $1 billion in global box office sales, becoming the first R-rated movie ever to do so. That’s an impressive feat, even if the outrage whipped up by the movie has as much to do with its ubiquity as its smart subversion of classic superhero tropes. What, exactly, piqued Trump’s interest remains unknown, but, according to a senior White House official, the President watched Joker on Saturday night and loved the movie about a sad, angry clown who came to be worshipped by lunatics. .
Joker was screened inside the White House on Saturday for “family, friends, and some staff,” perhaps to coincide with Roger Stone getting convicted of obstruction, lying, and witness tampering—lest you’ve forgotten, Stone’s a big fan of the character. Or maybe Trump, noted Bloodsport fan, just loves cinema.
Regardless of what our supervillain president relates to in Joker, at least he’s not rallying with the rest of the DC fanboys (and also Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot) behind a #ReleaseTheSnyderCut hashtag.