Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Trump Baby Balloon's Babysitters Are Exhausted, NJ Visit TBD
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2018
Modified Jul 20, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 8
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2018
Modified Jul 20, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Trump Baby Balloon was the big hit of President Trump's visit to the United Kingdom. American activists raised money for the yooge balloon to fly above the president's NJ golf course, but now it's unclear when the inflatable will make it's way over.
The NY Times reports that there's great demand from British museums to add the balloon to their collections, and the outpouring of attention has been unexpected:
The balloon is the work of a group of Londoners, friends who jokingly call themselves Trump babysitters, several of whom work for environmental charities. The blimp’s design is by Matthew Bonner. In his original drawing for it, Mr. Trump was pictured crying, until the friends decided this made him look too sympathetic, Mr. Bonner told the Design Museum in an Instagram interview.
Kevin Smith, one of the group, said in a telephone interview that it had been overwhelmed by interest in the balloon since the president’s visit. The group has received many requests from activists around the world looking to use the balloon, he said, on top of the requests from museums.
“It’s become this sort of iconic image that could define part of Trump’s presidency,” Mr. Smith added.
Another babysitter, Leo Murray, who asked Kevin to design a Trump baby, told the Washington Post, "We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of messages saying, ‘Please come.’ I think there’s a sense that Trump Baby is able to ward off evil."
Besides starting a crowdfunding site for a "Trump Baby World Tour," the Trump (balloon) babysitters are weighing different next steps, including, the Times says, possibly "releasing the balloon’s design under a Creative Commons license so that activists worldwide can use it."
As for the NJ visit, Smith said they spoke to the activists behind that trip but said he and his fellow baby sitters are "a group of friends and volunteers working in their spare time. People have really run themselves to the point of exhaustion while doing this. We’re really keen to make the global tour happen; we just need to step back a little bit and calm down."
Tagged
president trump
trump baby
Trump Baby Balloon
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .