This “TRUMP IS A PIG” Stage Screenshot Is Going Viral — Here’s the Truth Behind It
A meme involving Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters is circulating online again, claiming that the musician opened his U.S. tour in Kansas City with giant stage screens reading “TRUMP IS A PIG.” The image has been shared widely across social media, often presented as a direct snapshot from the opening night of his 2017 Us + Them tour.
Here’s what actually happened.
Roger Waters did begin the U.S. leg of his Us + Them tour in Kansas City on May 26, 2017. Multiple outlets reviewing that show confirm it featured a lengthy, highly political segment criticizing then-President Donald Trump. During the performance of “Pigs (Three Different Ones)”, massive LED screens displayed a range of anti-Trump visuals, including caricatures, quotes, and the word “CHARADE” in large letters.
Reviewers who attended the Kansas City opener reported that an inflatable pig — a recurring element in Waters’ shows — also appeared with political imagery attached.
However, while Waters did use phrases such as “TRUMP IS A PIG” during other performances of “Pigs” on the same tour and at previous events, available reviews of the Kansas City show do not specifically document that exact wording appearing on the screens that night.
The viral meme currently circulating online shows giant block letters reading “TRUMP IS A PIG” across a wide stage. That image does match visuals Waters used during parts of the tour — but it is not confirmed to be from the Kansas City concert, and may come from another date where his anti-Trump staging differed slightly.
In short:
True: Waters opened the 2017 U.S. tour in Kansas City.
True: The show featured extensive anti-Trump imagery during “Pigs.”
Unconfirmed: That specific “TRUMP IS A PIG” screen appeared at that Kansas City performance, despite being part of the tour’s broader visual theme.
Likely: The meme combines real elements but may not reflect the exact images shown at the opening show.
Waters has long incorporated political messages into his concerts, including critiques of world leaders, surveillance, and authoritarianism. His Us + Them tour continued that pattern, drawing attention not only for its production value but also for its provocative, headline-generating visuals.
As the meme continues to circulate online, it’s a reminder that context and date matter — even when the image itself is rooted in something that did, in fact, happen somewhere on the tour.