President Joe Biden was widely mocked online on Friday afternoon after he agreed with a man who called in to the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) annual holiday Santa tracking event and said, “Let’s go, Brandon,” a phrase that means “F*** Joe Biden.”
“Well, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas,” Biden told the man.
“Yeah, I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas as well,” the man responded. “Merry Christmas, and let’s go, Brandon.”
“Let’s go, Brandon, I agree,” Biden responded.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Joe Biden was taking calls from the NORAD Santa tracking program and a dad ended the call with "Merry Christmas, and Let's Go Brandon."
Biden replied with: "Let's Go Brandon, I agree" pic.twitter.com/Hc0pLWGRx1
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) December 24, 2021
The following are some of the most notable responses online to Biden’s remarks:
- Joe Gabriel Simonson, reporter: “The more troubling thing about the ‘lets go Brandon’ thing is that it’s 50-50 Biden had any idea what was happening. Media acting like caretakers for a victim of elder abuse. For all of trump’s faults, he would almost certainly know if some guy was flipping him off. The bar is below ground at this point.”
- Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ): “When Christmas comes a day early.”
- Christian Ziegler, Florida GOP: “Joe Biden is a lot more incoherent than I thought, which is really saying something.”
- Amber Athey, reporter: “I see the same media people that fawned over a woman on a bicycle flipping off Trump’s motorcade is just apoplectic that someone said Let’s Go Brandon.”
- Kellyanne Conway: “This sums up Biden’s first year – and Biden. Merry Christmas!”
- Michael Scott Doran, analyst: “Biden has never heard this slogan. What else is he unfamiliar with?”
- Donald Trump Jr.: “OMG, he has no idea what it actually means. He is more clueless than we even thought.”
- Stephen L. Miller, political commentator: “Hope the Lets Go Brandon Dad’s taxes are in order. He should probably lock down his trash. Make some space on the lawn for the CNN van.”
“The anti-Biden phrase became an internet sensation in October after an NBC reporter at a NASCAR Xfinity Series race incorrectly reported that fans in the stands were chanting ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ following a victory by driver Brandon Brown, when they were really shouting, ‘F–k Joe Biden,’” Fox News reported. “It has since become a wildly popular anti-Biden rallying cry, breaking out at concerts, sporting events and even churches.”
NASCAR President Steve Phelps threatened to sue those who use the “Let’s Go, Brandon” slogan on merchandise featuring NASCAR’s trademarks, and has condemned the use of the slogan, claiming that NASCAR does not want to be associated with politics.
The Associated Press reported:
Phelps … said NASCAR will pursue action against any illegal use of its trademarks on merchandise boasting the slogan. Retired baseball star Lenny Dykstra posted a photo on Twitter this week of a man eating breakfast at a New Jersey hotel wearing a black “Let’s go, Brandon” shirt alongside NASCAR’s trademarked color bars.
“We will pursue whoever (is using logos) and get that stuff,” Phelps said. “That’s not OK. It’s not OK that you’re using our trademarks illegally, regardless of whether we agree with what the position is.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claimed last month that Biden does not “spend much time focused on” or “thinking about” the “Let’s go, Brandon!” slogan, which has become wildly popular throughout the country.
“The president said when he came into office on Inauguration Day — he said he was going to help get rid of the ‘uncivil war’ in this country. So I guess, through that lens right now, does the president think there are things that he can do differently?” the reporter asked. “Or how does he react to the stuff he sees out there when it is one of his primary promises or desires to help bring Americans together?”
“Well, it takes two to move towards a more civil engagement and discourse in this country, and the president is going to continue to operate, as you said, from the promise he made early on, which is that he wants to govern for all Americans,” Psaki claimed.