The Daily Squib: In Conversation With Taran, the Man Behind the Trump Chicken

If you have ever ventured into one of the multitude of anti-Trump protests in America or Europe, you may have encountered the Trump Chicken, with a lovely piece of shit as a hairstyle. The Daily Squib is pleased to introduce the man behind the chicken. An amiable and feisty guy called Taran Singh Brar. He believes in his chicken, and from the conversation, he certainly believes in the enduring fight against Trump. These are truly divisive times we are all living through, but in America, things are getting very clucky indeed.

As the man behind the Trump chicken, do you think your protest has achieved anything, overall, apart from a little humour?

Yes these protests against Trump have achieved a lot. One of main demands was for Trump to release his tax returns, and after so much pressure was applied, Trump’s tax returns were released to the public.The amount of corruption those tax returns reveal is epic, including Chinese bank accounts, and they were only released after loads of public pressure through Chicken Don and a march I organized called Tax March Chicago. Today Trump is still trying to get those tax returns back in the private sphere and going after IRS officials.

Here at the Squib we call Mr Trump either ‘The Don’ or ‘The Teflon Don’ because nothing sticks to the guy. He can basically do anything and get out of it. Do you have the same views or different views?

I have similar and different views. Trump is the most shameless politician in a generation, dividing a country along racial lines for his own benefit. His rhetoric has appealed to a strain of white supremacist ideology that has been powerful throughout history, and generated a powerful and radical base. This is what gives him his Teflon reputation, since they will follow him no matter what. However he is also a draft-dodger who gets upset with bad press attention. So a lot sticks to him, including powerful humor.

What is the current political climate, in your view of the deeply fractured United States?

Sadly, it looks like the United States is entering a period of fascism and dictatorship. There have been two competing strains in American history–its democratic nature and its racist, white supremacist nature. Obama in a sense represented the democratic nature, and Trump the ugly empire. It appears Trump has ushered in the 21st century technological dictatorship that authors from Ray Bradbury to George Orwell feared.

Why did you choose a chicken and not some other animal?

The chicken was introduced as a mascot at the Tax March Chicago protest. At first I feared it wasn’t serious enough, but I took it and ran with it, performing chicken dances on stage. When I saw the hilarious global reaction Chicken Don made in Washington D.C. I realized it had legs. There’s something about an enormous orange chicken that resonates because it’s innocent.

Do you think your blow-up Trump chicken could also be used for a fried chicken restaurant chain? You could make millions with another fast food chicken chain.

Ha, that is a good idea. I’ve done all of this work for public service, and haven’t made a dime on it, but it would be good for the chicken to appear everywhere as an act of defiance against the dictator of our time. Each time we inflate Chicken Don or it appears in public, it stands up for our democracy and free speech rights. It is peaceful and funny and in line with Constitutional values.

What is your opinion on Trump’s ICE deportation scheme? In the UK, there is a similar problem with millions of people entering the country illegally. Are you an open borders person?

I believe that each society makes its own decisions on issues like immigration. Therefore it is for the politicians of each country to compromise on what levels and kind of immigration they want. I follow that compromise. However in the United States the immigration argument is turning into a cover for cruelty, torture, and murder–and those are Constitutional and human rights violations. There is a difference between compromises on immigration and outright murder or other criminal acts.

How long does it take to blow up that Trump chicken?

It takes 10 minutes to blow up Chicken Don.

Why did you ignore Joe Biden, one of the worst presidents to have ever graced the White House?

Joe Biden deserves plenty of criticism. It reminds me of what President Obama once said about him: ‘Do not underestimate Joe Biden’s ability to screw things up.’ Most American politicians have proven themselves incapable of fixing the country. But he didn’t lend himself so easily to caricature like a chicken.

Many Indians have also been deported by Trump. Are you yourself fearful that Trump may lose his sense of humour with you and your Trump chicken?

As an Indian-American, and I’d like to think a bit of a thorn in Trump’s side, deportation is honestly the least of what I worry about. Trump’s said out loud what he thinks of Indians, that part isn’t in dispute, he reposted a rant calling Indian tech workers ‘gangsters with laptops.’ A few weeks later, a US strike killed three Indian sailors as part of the Iran blockade. I’m not going to pretend I know what was going through his head when that order got signed off, but I know how the timing looks, and it doesn’t look like a man losing sleep over who’s in the blast radius. As for me, I’ve had a rough nine years doing this, rougher than I want to get into here, but I’m still standing, and so is the chicken.

The Midterms in November will be a rather decisive moment. Will the Trump chicken be out and about during the Midterms?

Yes, Chicken Don’s Shitshow, or TACO (Trump Always Craps Out) will be debuting in Washington D.C. this week on the heels of its nine-year anniversary. This nine-year anniversary of Chicken Don is a fight for free speech and our democratic rights when fascism and dictatorship are on the rise. The midterms are exactly the kind of moment he’s built for, high stakes, high tension, everyone glued to their phones.

Trump has been called many things including a TACO, and many other names I cannot say here. Do you have any other ideas to add to your chicken?

Yeah, I recently added a shit emoji on Chicken Don’s hair. This symbolizes the shitshow he’s causing, and it dates back to his AI video of shitting on New York City from a fighter jet. When audiences see the chicken with shit on its head it instantly clicks and they bust out in uproarious laughter. Young girls as old as four have run up to Chicken Don’s Shitshow instantly recognizing the chicken with poop on its head. It has dirty fingers and a dirty backside because he doesn’t wash. Chicken Don has been inspiring many new variants, including TACO, or as I like to say, Trump Always Craps Out. Last year a different variant called Felon Don, or Chicken Don in jail, was debuted in Washington and Europe.

Do you make any money out of parading the chicken around? What do you get out of it, personally?

Personally I have always been interested in public service and making the world a better place. That’s why I got into politics and activism, and that’s why I remain committed to it, despite the enormous costs. I haven’t made any money out of it, but knowing I contributed to our democracy in a peaceful and impactful way makes living with the injuries Trump gave me much easier. I dream for a safe and prosperous world.

The Daily Squib would like to thank Taran for answering our questions; enjoy another great Trump protest season.