Johnny Depp appears to make dig at Donald Trump with tariff joke

Johnny Depp surprised fans at San Diego Comic-Con after turning up in full costume to promote his latest film, and made an unexpected jab at President Trump.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor appeared as Ebenezer Scrooge in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, where a section of Fifth Street had been transformed into a festive setting for the upcoming Christmas release.

Wearing old-age make-up and Victorian clothing, Depp stayed in character as he moved around the area and delivered a series of anti-Christmas remarks to performers and members of the public. His English accent was also described as reminiscent of his Jack Sparrow voice.

His appearance also saw him interact with decorations around the fenced-off space, including garlands placed across the gate.

Depp stayed in character as Scrooge whilst making the Trump joke throughout the Comic-Con stunt (Getty Images/Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

However, one improvised line soon moved beyond Scrooge’s familiar dislike of the festive season. The exchange initially appeared to be another extension of the character’s bad-tempered performance, but turned out to be otherwise as Depp appeared to aim for Donald Trump’s tariff policies whilst arguing over who owned the decorated gate.

Reported by Entertainment Weekly, he said: “That’s on my property, which means that I own it,”

“And you’re paying tax on it being there. ’Cause everybody has to pay all that stuff. Putting tariffs on the gate.”

The comment came after Depp began pulling garlands from the gate and objecting to the decorations.

“These are poison!” he said. “Keep these away from children.”

Another performer replied: “We just wanted to bring a little Christmas cheer!”

It's a keenly timed joke by the actor, as whilst Trump's sweeping tariffs have been around since early last year, a Supreme Court ruling has since struck them down — with some shoppers now even able to get refunds on the higher charges they suffered.

Trump's controversial tariffs have since been struck down by a Supreme Court ruling (Chip Somodevilla/Staff/Getty Images)

Depp’s performance as Ebenezer Scrooge is a titular tease of what we’ll see when he’ll stars in the upcoming film, Ebenezer, which is being directed by Ti West, the filmmaker behind X and Pearl.

The movie marks Depp’s first film for a major American studio since his highly publicised legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Paramount Pictures is releasing the project, which offers another take on Charles Dickens’ famous character.

Depp previously discussed the challenge of playing Scrooge while appearing at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April.

He said he had been daunted by the role because of his admiration for Alastair Sim’s portrayal in the 1951 adaptation.

Deep explained: “That’s no reason not to attempt something…Because if you can find a way of going into this tale that’s known for generations, but just finding different angles on your way into the character and with the film itself.”

He also praised West’s approach to the story, adding: “Ti did something really special, I was just sort of around for laughs.”

Alongside Depp, the cast includes Andrea Riseborough, Rupert Grint, Ian McKellen, Daisy Ridley and Sam Claflin. Charlie Murphy, Arthur Conti and Ellie Bamber are also set to appear in the film.

Ebenezer is scheduled to arrive in US cinemas on Nov. 13, placing it shortly before the Christmas season.