President Biden formally stated on Tuesday that he will seek reelection in 2024. And, with that announcement comes a brand-new campaign website.
All the expected content is there on Joebiden.com. It includes images of the 80-year-old candidate, a video promoting his candidature, and requests for donations.
In addition, another option exists for users who unintentionally access a page that does not exist. Visitors see Biden’s alter ego, “Dark Brandon,” with blazing red laser eyes instead of a simple 404 error.
The Talk of The Phrase
There’s a phrase “Let’s get you back on the rails,” presumably a nod to Biden’s fondness of Amtrak. It is written beneath the smiling, suit-clad image of the president.
Here is a brief reminder of the “Dark Brandon” genesis tale for new people; like anything on the internet, it comprises multiple perspectives.
The phrase “Let’s go, Brandon!” swiftly caught on among conservative groups in late 2021 as a direct insult against Biden. It was on an infamously misheard crowd cry at a NASCAR race.
“Dark MAGA” Memes
Then, sometime last year, a small group of people supported Donald Trump on the fringes. And, urged for him to run for office again in 2024, started making “Dark MAGA” memes.
They frequently show a dictatorial or totalitarian version of Trump, occasionally with blue laser eyes. Usually, the captions that go with the images urge Trump to exact revenge on his political adversaries.
“Dark Brandon,” which featured a menacing Joe Biden, was almost instantly born out of those memes. In this scenario, they frequently depict the president with a weapon or donning military gear, such as red lasers.
But it also is a favourite with the left. They adopted the notion as a result. Democrats are now highlighting Biden’s policy achievements using photos from Dark Brandon.
And so it is that we find ourselves in this situation, where the official website of the American presidential campaign is urging supporters to purchase a $32 “dark T-shirt”. Further, the campaign claims it is “best worn when vanquishing Malarkey.”
The Final Words
The ‘Dark Brandon meme, according to Aja Romano, a Vox cultural reporter who has written about it, is changing how the public views the 80-year-old president from a lifeless figure to a dynamic one.
According to Romano of NPR, Biden’s adoption of the ‘Dark Brandon’ meme “shows not only a knowledge of the meme. And what it stands for to many of his supporters. But also the consciousness of how the meme livens and revitalizes his public persona.”
As he prepares for challenging reelection, Romano continued, “Look for him to rely further on the ‘Dark Brandon’ meme on the internet as a way of galvanising supporters online.”
