A new statue commemorating the 30th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book, Matilda, depicts the strong-willed fictional little girl standing up to a very real person: none other than President Donald Trump.
According to a poll from the Roald Dahl Story Company, the British public chose Trump as the modern equivalent of Miss Trunchbull, the overbearing and power-hungry headmistress of Matilda’s school who gets defeated by the young girl’s bookish smarts and telekinetic skills.
When asked who they thought Matilda would confront today, 42% of the poll’s respondents chose Trump, 21% chose UK Prime Minister Theresa May, and 16% chose TV presenter Piers Morgan, CNN reports.
“Matilda demonstrates that it’s possible for anyone, no matter how small and powerless they feel, to defeat the Trunchbulls in their own lives—a message that is perhaps even more relevant in 2018 than 30 years ago,” Steve Gardam, director of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, told The Washington Post.
Now, two fiberglass caricatures of Matilda and Trump stand in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of London, where Dahl lived for more than 30 years. Matilda, hands on her hips and chin held high, stands four feet tall on a stack of books that includes Moby Dick and Great Expectations. Trump, with his brow furrowed, fists clenched, and lips pursing, stands over her at 6 feet tall.
The temporary installment is as much a tribute to Dahl’s lasting legacy as it is to Trump’s reputation abroad. According to the Pew Research Center, 28% of the British public trust Trump to “do the right thing” regarding world affairs. This stat gets as low as 7% for the citizens of Spain.
