Cards Against Humanity, the company behind the infamous and irreverent party game, has unveiled a new product inspired by and aimed at President Donald Trump.
“Cards Against Humanity Explains the Joke” includes a deck of the 600 cards from the original game, each with a “detailed explanation of the joke, why it’s funny, and any relevant social, political, or historical context.”
Despite being made in China, a loophole in U.S. trade law means the latest series is “100 percent exempt from Donald Trump’s stupid tariffs,” the company writes on the product page. As a result, it said profits will go toward the American Library Association (ALA), a nonprofit that has protested book bans and taken legal action against the Trump administration over policies impacting federal support for libraries.
Newsweek contacted the White House via email outside of regular business hours for comment.
Why It Matters
Cards Against Humanity has frequently engaged in similarly satirical political activism. In 2017, it purchased vacant land on the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent the construction of Trump’s border wall, later suing Elon Musk’s SpaceX for allegedly trespassing and damaging property located there.
With its Explains the Joke edition, the company draws attention to what it sees as the administration’s attempts at censorship, as well as the risks posed by the tariffs to Christmas, which it says is now in “in grave danger.” Surveys show consumers are anticipating higher prices this holiday shopping season, and businesses have told Newsweek that tariffs will weigh heavily on their operations, dampening demand while also forcing price hikes during a period typically defined by discounts.
What To Know
While toys and games—including card games such as the company’s flagship product—are subject to Trump’s tariffs, “informational materials” like books and films remain exempt under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the law used to impose the majority of the president’s duties.
In June, the company requested a tariff classification for Explains the Joke from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which agreed to an exemption in July.
“Without those tariffs, every copy we sell is even more money to help the ALA fight censorship,” said Cards Against Humanity co-creator Josh Dillon. He added that profits would also be used to organize “Banned Books Week,” an awareness campaign which highlights books that have been challenged or banned in U.S. schools and libraries.
“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are meaningless if the government can restrict what we can read,” said Dillon. “The informational materials exemption is rooted in the First Amendment and we’re proud to help protect our rights from the Trump administration’s assault on free speech.”
With its unique tariff exemption, Explain the Joke also aims to highlight the potentially significant impact of duties on the price of products ahead of the holiday shopping season.
“In stores across America, the price of toys, games, clothes, and food are skyrocketing, all thanks to our demented president and his dumb*** tariffs,” the product page reads.
Recent surveys have reflected consumers’ concerns about the impact of tariffs on holiday shopping. Eight in 10 anticipate higher prices due to tariffs, according to a poll from KPMG, and the firm separately found that a majority of companies plan to raise prices over the next six months to offset the new import taxes.
What People Are Saying
Cards Against Humanity, on the product webpage, writes: “Cards Against Humanity Explains the Joke is a new tariff-exempt informational product that explains every joke in regular Cards Against Humanity. It’s a 600-card reference guide, comprehensive authorial commentary, and historico-philosophical analysis that is very serious and definitely not a game.”
Cards Against Humanity co-creator Eliot Weinstein said: “Despite what Trump says and the media mindlessly repeats, the tariffs aren’t taxes on China or any other country. They are a surprise tax on American businesses, who were given almost no time to plan, and have to either pass the costs on to their customers, or risk going bankrupt. This holiday season, American consumers will feel the tariffs when they buy Christmas gifts—everything from toys and games to clothes and food will be more expensive. We’re here to show just how stupid and arbitrary Trump’s tariffs are.”
What Happens Next?
The product will be available for one week at $25, with pre-orders closing on October 15.
“This is a one-time deal: we’ll make as many copies as you all order over the next week, and then this product will disappear forever,” the company said, adding that orders will “God willing” be delivered by Christmas.
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