--- title: Philippines Artist Made Donald Trump Doll Out of Flip-Flops description: The Filipino artist hopes to give the figurine to President Trump during the upcoming state visit canonical: https://time.com/5016519/donald-trump-action-figure-philippines/ author: Laignee Barron article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-09T04:33:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:48:36.102Z og:title: An Artist Made a Donald Trump Doll Out of Flip-Flops og:description: Welcome to the Philippines og:url: https://time.com/5016519/donald-trump-action-figure-philippines/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac5e2deb6a170e50/6988e5290a4a22de439d0a3c/rts1iz5g.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4116 og:image:height: 2315 og:image:alt: Padilla makes a figure U.S. President Trump out of discarded slippers at his workshop in metro Manila og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: An Artist Made a Donald Trump Doll Out of Flip-Flops twitter:description: Welcome to the Philippines twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac5e2deb6a170e50/6988e5290a4a22de439d0a3c/rts1iz5g.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # An Artist Made a Donald Trump Action Figure Out of Old Flip Flops. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b8ee702d-212a-4601-912d-fd3cec234e53&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Laignee Barron](https://time.com/author/laignee-barron/) ## Laignee Barron Nov 9, 2017 4:33 AM UTC  Elmer Padilla, 30, makes a figure of President Donald Trump at his workshop in Manila, Philippines, Nov. 8, 2017. Elmer Padilla, 30, makes a figure of President Donald Trump at his workshop in Manila, Philippines, Nov. 8, 2017. Romeo Ranoco—Reuters by [Laignee Barron](https://time.com/author/laignee-barron/) ## Laignee Barron Nov 9, 2017 4:33 AM UTC As President Donald Trump continues powering through his marathon Asia tour, he has been received with hearty hamburgers, rounds of golf, and a rare invitation to dine in China’s Forbidden City. But one tribute to the U.S. leader stood out among the rest: an action figure bearing his likeness, artfully carved out of old flip flops. Filipino artist Elmer Padilla has made a name for himself fashioning figurines out of _tsinelas_, Tagalog for flip flops. His latest project is the spitting image of Donald Trump donning his signature suit, arm raised to greet a crowd. Trump is set to arrive in Manila on Sunday, the last stop on his [whirlwind Asia itinerary](http://time.com/5006936/donald-trump-china-vietnam-philippines-korea-japan-apec-asean/) packing five countries into 12 days. Padilla was propelled to fame last month, when his rendering of the Incredible Hulk caught the attention and praise of actor Mark Ruffalo. Photographs of Padilla’s quirky creations quickly went viral. > [](https://twitter.com/markruffalo/status/921464890199592960) Childhood poverty drove Padilla to start making his own toys at the age of nine, using scrap materials like rubber and used slippers, he told [local media ABS-CBN](http://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/10/21/17/the-story-behind-the-pinoy-made-tsinelas-action-figures). After struggling to find work to support his family, the hobbyist decided to try selling his figurines and became a local sensation. Padilla, who normally sells his action figures for around $25, [told Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-asia-philippines-toys/filipino-artist-makes-trump-action-figure-from-flip-flops-idUSKBN1D826J) that he has no intention of selling the Trump doll, but he hopes to give it to the U.S. leader during his upcoming state visit. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5016519/donald-trump-action-figure-philippines/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5016519/donald-trump-action-figure-philippines/"},"headline":"An Artist Made a Donald Trump Action Figure Out of Old Flip Flops. 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