Fact Check: German parade floats mocking Trump are real. Here's why the caricatures were displayed
Emery Winter
Wed, February 18, 2026
Getty Images
Getty Images
Images circulating on social media show floats mocking U.S. President Donald Trump at German parades, including a float of a pantsless Trump and a gagged Statue of Liberty.See more
Claim:
Images authentically show floats mocking U.S. President Donald Trump at a German parade, including a float of a pantsless Trump and a gagged Statue of Liberty.
Rating:
Rating: True
In February 2026, social media users (archived) shared images of a parade float with a caricature of U.S. President Donald Trump licking a gagged Statue of Liberty.
According to a Facebook post, the float was one of three satirizing Trump in "Düsseldorf's infamous Rose Monday carnival parade." Düsseldorf is a city in western Germany.
Different versions of the claim circulated on various social media platforms. For example, another Facebook post (archived) shared an image of the same float, claiming it was from a "German Presidents Day Festival." On X, one user claimed (archived) it was from a carnival in Mainz, Germany.
A Reddit post (archived) included the image among other parade floats mocking Trump, claiming they were from "Düsseldorf's Rose Monday Parade." Other purported parade floats depicted Trump punching Jesus and trying to devour Europe with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The images of the satirical Trump and Statue of Liberty float, as well as other floats mocking Trump, were authentic photos depicting scenes from real German parades. While the parades were held on America's Presidents Day, the German parades are annual traditions dating back to before that holiday existed.
Photos of the float with Trump and the Statue of Liberty were available from Getty Images, Alamy and Reuters. All three photo agencies said the float was from a Rose Monday parade in Mainz.
The city of Mainz describes Rose Monday as the highlight of carnival season, which it called its folk festival with "fantastic days and nights of revelry." Carnival starts annually on Nov. 11 and ends on Ash Wednesday. Each year, the city hosts a parade on Rose Monday, the final Monday before Ash Wednesday.
In 2026, Rose Monday was Feb. 16, the same date that the U.S. celebrated Presidents Day. A Mainz Carnival website, which dates these celebrations back to 1838, also confirmed the annual parade was scheduled for Feb. 16.
Congress didn't create Presidents Day, celebrated on the third Monday of February, until 1968.
The Mainz Carnival Museum says that the floats which satirize current events and politics are an "important part of the parade."
The photo of the float with Trump and the Statue of Liberty was often shared alongside the photos of floats depicting Trump punching Jesus and trying to devour Europe with Putin. Getty Images placed the other two floats as being from Düsseldorf.
Düsseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, another German city, are the "three strongholds of the Rhineland Carnival," according to a nonprofit group that seeks to preserve and share Düsseldorf's carnival traditions. Düsseldorf, like Mainz, celebrates Rose Monday with a parade that includes floats satirizing current events and politics.
Sources:
"Fünfte Jahreszeit in Mainz." Landeshauptstadt Mainz, www.mainz.de/freizeit-und-sport/feste-und-veranstaltungen/fuenfte-jahreszeit.php#SP-grouplist-4-1:1. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"George Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day?" George Washington's Mount Vernon, www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/facts/the-truth-about-presidents-day. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"Karneval in Düsseldorf." Karneval in Düsseldorf, www.karneval-in-duesseldorf.de/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Lohnes, Thomas. "A Carnival Float Shows US President Donald Trump Dancing..." Getty Images, 16 Feb. 2026, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/carnival-float-shows-us-president-donald-trump-dancing-news-photo/2261916604?adppopup=true. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
REUTERS. "Rose Monday Parade in Mainz." Reuters Connect, 16 Feb. 2026, www.reutersconnect.com/item/rose-monday-parade-in-mainz/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1JDMjBOSkFDSTFEQw. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Roessler, Boris. "Mainz, Germany. 16th Feb, 2026. One Float Shows a Figure of US President Trump with a Crown Trying to Lick a Tied-up Statue of Liberty during the Rose Monday Parade. The "Foolish Lindworm" Includes Political Floats, "Schwellköppe", Musical Processions, Flag Bearers and Guards. The Length of the Parade Route Is over Seven Kilometers. Credit: Boris Roessler/Dpa/Alamy Live News," Alamy.com, 16 Feb. 2026, www.alamy.com/mainz-germany-16th-feb-2026-one-float-shows-a-figure-of-us-president-trump-with-a-crown-trying-to-lick-a-tied-up-statue-of-liberty-during-the-rose-monday-parade-the-foolish-lindworm-includes-political-floats-schwellkppe-musical-processions-flag-bearers-and-guards-the-length-of-the-parade-route-is-over-seven-kilometers-credit-boris-roesslerdpaalamy-live-news-image719717850.html. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"Straßenfastnacht." Mainzer-Fastnachtsmuseum.de, www.mainzer-fastnachtsmuseum.de/html/strassenfastnacht.html. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"Straßenfastnacht | Mainzer Carneval-Verein." Mainzer-Carneval-Verein.de, mainzer-carneval-verein.de/strassenfastnacht/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Claim:
Images authentically show floats mocking U.S. President Donald Trump at a German parade, including a float of a pantsless Trump and a gagged Statue of Liberty.
Rating:
Rating: True
In February 2026, social media users (archived) shared images of a parade float with a caricature of U.S. President Donald Trump licking a gagged Statue of Liberty.
According to a Facebook post, the float was one of three satirizing Trump in "Düsseldorf's infamous Rose Monday carnival parade." Düsseldorf is a city in western Germany.
Different versions of the claim circulated on various social media platforms. For example, another Facebook post (archived) shared an image of the same float, claiming it was from a "German Presidents Day Festival." On X, one user claimed (archived) it was from a carnival in Mainz, Germany.
A Reddit post (archived) included the image among other parade floats mocking Trump, claiming they were from "Düsseldorf's Rose Monday Parade." Other purported parade floats depicted Trump punching Jesus and trying to devour Europe with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The images of the satirical Trump and Statue of Liberty float, as well as other floats mocking Trump, were authentic photos depicting scenes from real German parades. While the parades were held on America's Presidents Day, the German parades are annual traditions dating back to before that holiday existed.
Photos of the float with Trump and the Statue of Liberty were available from Getty Images, Alamy and Reuters. All three photo agencies said the float was from a Rose Monday parade in Mainz.
The city of Mainz describes Rose Monday as the highlight of carnival season, which it called its folk festival with "fantastic days and nights of revelry." Carnival starts annually on Nov. 11 and ends on Ash Wednesday. Each year, the city hosts a parade on Rose Monday, the final Monday before Ash Wednesday.
In 2026, Rose Monday was Feb. 16, the same date that the U.S. celebrated Presidents Day. A Mainz Carnival website, which dates these celebrations back to 1838, also confirmed the annual parade was scheduled for Feb. 16.
Congress didn't create Presidents Day, celebrated on the third Monday of February, until 1968.
The Mainz Carnival Museum says that the floats which satirize current events and politics are an "important part of the parade."
The photo of the float with Trump and the Statue of Liberty was often shared alongside the photos of floats depicting Trump punching Jesus and trying to devour Europe with Putin. Getty Images placed the other two floats as being from Düsseldorf.
Düsseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, another German city, are the "three strongholds of the Rhineland Carnival," according to a nonprofit group that seeks to preserve and share Düsseldorf's carnival traditions. Düsseldorf, like Mainz, celebrates Rose Monday with a parade that includes floats satirizing current events and politics.
Sources:
"Fünfte Jahreszeit in Mainz." Landeshauptstadt Mainz, www.mainz.de/freizeit-und-sport/feste-und-veranstaltungen/fuenfte-jahreszeit.php#SP-grouplist-4-1:1. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"George Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day?" George Washington's Mount Vernon, www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/facts/the-truth-about-presidents-day. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"Karneval in Düsseldorf." Karneval in Düsseldorf, www.karneval-in-duesseldorf.de/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Lohnes, Thomas. "A Carnival Float Shows US President Donald Trump Dancing..." Getty Images, 16 Feb. 2026, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/carnival-float-shows-us-president-donald-trump-dancing-news-photo/2261916604?adppopup=true. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
REUTERS. "Rose Monday Parade in Mainz." Reuters Connect, 16 Feb. 2026, www.reutersconnect.com/item/rose-monday-parade-in-mainz/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1JDMjBOSkFDSTFEQw. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Roessler, Boris. "Mainz, Germany. 16th Feb, 2026. One Float Shows a Figure of US President Trump with a Crown Trying to Lick a Tied-up Statue of Liberty during the Rose Monday Parade. The "Foolish Lindworm" Includes Political Floats, "Schwellköppe", Musical Processions, Flag Bearers and Guards. The Length of the Parade Route Is over Seven Kilometers. Credit: Boris Roessler/Dpa/Alamy Live News," Alamy.com, 16 Feb. 2026, www.alamy.com/mainz-germany-16th-feb-2026-one-float-shows-a-figure-of-us-president-trump-with-a-crown-trying-to-lick-a-tied-up-statue-of-liberty-during-the-rose-monday-parade-the-foolish-lindworm-includes-political-floats-schwellkppe-musical-processions-flag-bearers-and-guards-the-length-of-the-parade-route-is-over-seven-kilometers-credit-boris-roesslerdpaalamy-live-news-image719717850.html. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"Straßenfastnacht." Mainzer-Fastnachtsmuseum.de, www.mainzer-fastnachtsmuseum.de/html/strassenfastnacht.html. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
"Straßenfastnacht | Mainzer Carneval-Verein." Mainzer-Carneval-Verein.de, mainzer-carneval-verein.de/strassenfastnacht/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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