President Biden was blasted on social media after releasing a short video showing him drinking coffee from a cup with the “Dark Brandon” logo; at the end, he says, “I like my coffee dark.” He released it on Twitter with the caption, “A cup of Joe never tasted better.”
The roots of this story begin in October 2021 at a NASCAR race in Alabama. After the race, a reporter interviewed winner Brandon Brown, and the chant “F*** Joe Biden” can be heard in the background. The reporter, either by mistake or design, described the chanting as “Let’s Go Brandon,” and the craze was born.
In essence, when people say, “Let’s Go Brandon,” they are really saying “F*** Joe Biden,” and as such, it became a popular phrase among Republicans – even elected GOP representatives used it. For example, South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan wore a mask with the words printed on it, and Florida Rep. Bill Posey ended a speech with it.
As can happen with online culture, Democrats seized “Let’s Go Brandon,” altered it a little, and used it to their advantage. Images of Biden with laser eyes, to depict him as tough, began to appear as memes under the title “Dark Brandon.” The images have become a left-wing celebration tool, intended to show the President as a sharp mover who gets results.
Such is the President’s embrace of the image and the theme that it dominates his 2024 merchandise and is so successful that it accounts for more than 50% of overall sales. Baseball caps, bags, mugs, and campaign items are decorated with images of a smiling Joe Biden with red lasers where his eyes should be.
The latest video clip confirms that Biden has embraced the concept, even if commentators on the right see it as cringe-worthy. The GOP, on Twitter, decided to make a more serious point when sharing the clip – coffee is 30% more expensive than when Biden took office.
