“Dark Brandon” doesn’t need sunglasses when he’s throwing shade.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden posted a video to Twitter (now rebranded as X) as his alter-ego, “Dark Brandon.” In the short clip, Biden takes a sip from a mug, then utters: “I like my coffee dark.”
He places the mug on a table in front of him, revealing it features a “Dark Brandon” meme complete with laser beam eyes. The mugs have been for sale on Biden’s 2024 presidential campaign website since he announced his run for reelection in April.
It should be noted that the “Dark Brandon” meme is typically used by the left to celebrate Biden’s successes.
Although Biden’s brief clip doesn’t offer any more info, it just happened to be posted to Twitter on the same day as former President Donald Trump’s arraignment at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., for charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump announced in November 2022 that he plans to run for president again in the 2024 election, despite his coup attempt.
Due to the timing of Biden’s “Dark Brandon” clip, many observers speculated it was a direct diss aimed at Trump and his cohorts.
For those who are unfamiliar with the “Dark Brandon” meme, here’s a quick rundown free of any fiddle-faddle.
In 2021, the phrase “Let’s go, Brandon!” became shorthand among Trump supporters for aiming the F-bomb at Biden, per NPR. Then, in 2022, Trump supporters created a series of “Dark MAGA” memes that occasionally showed Trump with blue laser beams for eyes. Captions accompanying Dark MAGA memes typically call for Trump to take revenge on his political enemies.
The left quickly co-opted the “Dark MAGA” meme with the “Dark Brandon” meme, featuring Biden with red laser beam eyes, meant to represent the president’s feisty side. It is typically used by Biden supporters to tout his policy wins.
And it seems Biden’s campaign has decided to fully embrace this rascal alter ego. In April, “Dark Brandon” made an appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and “Dark Brandon” T-shirts, mugs, hats and tote bags have been available for purchase on his reelection website.
Aja Romano, a culture reporter for Vox who’s written about the Dark Brandon meme, said Bidens’ embrace of the meme is helping him appear much cooler and more exciting.
“Biden’s embrace of the Dark Brandon meme shows not only an awareness of the meme and what it represents to many of his followers, but self-awareness of how the meme livens and rejuvenates his public persona,” Romano told NPR.
Romano added to the outlet: “Especially as he gears up for a difficult reelection, look for him to lean even more into the ‘Dark Brandon’ meme on social media as a way of galvanizing supporters online.”
