Donald Trump and his cronies have been gambling with our democracy for the last nine years. “Alternative facts,” lies, and an insurrection to upend the 2020 presidential election threaten the very foundation of our country.
Jeff Gates has created a fitting symbol of these times with a deck of poker cards, each featuring one participant in Trump’s attempt to turn America into an authoritarian state. The portraits on the face cards come from Gates’ series, “Faces of the Republican Party.” The entire group of images will be on exhibition at the American University Museum in Washington, DC, from September through December 2024 during the election season.
Gates has been creating posters about the sorry state of American political discourse since 2010. His over 300 images have become a visual history spanning the rise of The Tea Party to the present. His work has appeared in several international exhibitions and publications, including Graphis’ latest book of political posters, The Nation, The Atlantic, and PRINT. Google Arts & Culture has produced eight online exhibitions of his work, with a ninth forthcoming.
Each high-quality deck of cards comes in its own box. For $30 a deck, you can play poker while owning a bit of our present history. Buy your deck now! (This link will take you to Etsy.)
Place your bets and play your hand. Strategy, combined with a bit of luck, will determine the outcome of this game.
Purchase Your Deck Now!
Who Are These People?
Download a list of all the people pictured on these cards. Each card features one participant in Trump’s attempt to turn America into an authoritarian state. Some of these people you will know or recognize. But the power of MAGA is that Trump’s lies have filtered down to many politicians on the state and local level and to his base. This info sheet will fill you in on who’s who in The GOP’s House of Cards.