‘Baby Trump’ blimp to fly Chi-high at women’s march
President Donald Trump may not be coming to town any time soon, but a scowling, diaper-clad likeness is expected to make an appearance in October.
The 20-foot-tall, helium-filled “Baby Trump” will be part of the Women’s March Chicago, set for Oct. 13 in Grant Park, organizers say.
“There are a lot of people on both sides of the political spectrum who don’t necessarily support Trump’s policies, but we also know that our marchers really responded well when they saw it in London. And so we thought it would be a fun addition to the event,” said Emily Kraiem, a board member for the march.
Another of the blimps appeared earlier this year during a protest in London, when Trump made an official visit there. It prompted the president to say he didn’t feel particularly welcome in the capital city.
There are six blimps in all, the property of an anti-Trump activist group called the “People’s Motorcade.”
Kraiem said there was no cost to rent the blimp, but that there are fees for the helium, shipping and sandbags to stop the blimp from floating away.
Unlike in London, the blimp coming to be Chicago won’t move with the protesters, Kraiem said. It will be tethered to the ground.
“It starts to get complicated when you have [overhead] wires and stoplights,” she said.
Kraiem said she doesn’t expect the Trump blimp to distract from the point of the rally — to encourage people to vote in November.
And she said there’s no attempt to discourage any women Trump supporters who might wish to attend.
“Everybody is welcome at the march,” she said. “As an organization, Women’s March Chicago has always acknowledged that we are tackling issues that existed before Trump took office and will likely exist after he is out of office.”