"Let's Go Brandon" is a

political slogan Slogan, Slogans and Catchphrase, catchphrases are used by politicians, political parties, militaries, activists, and protestors to express or encourage particular beliefs or actions. List International usage * Better dead than RedAnti-communi ...

and

Internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

used as a euphemism for the phrase "Fuck Joe Biden" in reference to former U.S.

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

Chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of no ...

s of "Fuck Joe Biden" began during sporting events in early September 2021. On October 2, 2021, during a televised interview with the Sparks 300 race winner Brandon Brown at

Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989) is a tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Built in 1969, the track has hosted a variety of racing events, primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track is ...

Talladega, Alabama Talladega (, also ) is the county seat of Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1835. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 15,861. Talladega is approximately east of one of the state's la ...

NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...

reporter Kelli Stavast incorrectly described the chant in the background as "Let's Go Brandon", which sparked the meme. The slogan has become well known through use by Republican Party politicians and critics of Biden. The phrase quickly spread to popular culture, with rap songs using the phrase placing high on

record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, ofte ...

Origins

Background: Anti-Biden chants

In early September 2021, chants of "Fuck Joe Biden" were reported to have broken out in several

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

games in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. Later that month, the phenomenon spread to other universities, including the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

. Similar anti-Biden chants took place during the September

2021 Ryder Cup The 43rd Ryder Cup Matches were held in the United States from September 24–26, 2021, on the Straits course at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin. Europe was the holder of the Ryder Cup after its win over the United States in 2018 Ryder Cup, 2 ...

. The ''

Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C., consisting of a website and a weekly printed magazine. It is owned by Philip Anschutz through MediaDC, a subsidiar ...

'' reported that "Fuck Joe Biden" was chanted by some attendees at a

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...

concert in September 2021, and at an October 2021 protest in response to a vaccine mandate for educators in New York City.

Initial use

On October 2, 2021, racing driver Brandon Brown was being interviewed by

reporter Kelli Stavast at the

Lincoln, Alabama Lincoln is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1911. At the 2020 census, the population was 6,845. It was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who served in the American army during the Revolutionar ...

, following his

NASCAR Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level NASCAR Cup Series, Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a Undercard, support ...

victory in the 2021 Sparks 300, which was shortened due to darkness. Fans were chanting "Fuck Joe Biden", and this became audible to viewers of the broadcast. On the live broadcast, while wearing a headset, reporter Stavast stated, "You can hear the chants from the crowd, 'Let's go, Brandon! As of December 2023, Stavast has not clarified if she misunderstood the chant or intentionally misquoted it. A reporter with the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

said that the chant was "at first difficult to make out".

Early spread and reactions

Footage of the interview went viral, leading to the adoption of the phrase by critics of

President Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and re ...

as an expression of antipathy toward him. It has also been reported as a protest against perceived liberal bias in mainstream media, based on speculation that the reporter's description of the crowd's chant was intended to conceal anti-Biden sentiment.

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

commentators

Ben Shapiro Benjamin Aaron Shapiro (born January 15, 1984) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political commentator, media host, and attorney. He writes columns for Creators Syndicate, ''Newsweek'', and ''Ami Magazine'', an ...

and Tomi Lahren spread the phrase via

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

. The slogan has been printed on clothing, a billboard, and a banner flown behind a plane over a pro-

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

rally in Iowa. According to ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', on October 19, "The anti-Biden war cry 'Let's Go Brandon' is no longer a conservative media phenomenon, it's infiltrating mainstream popular culture and is now number one and two on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

, knocking

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...

's new single into third place." As the phrase began to increase in use, Brandon Brown found the phrase amusing and tweeted: "To all the other Brandons out there, You're welcome! Let's go us". In private, he was ambivalent about the phrase because it overshadowed his Talladega win and threatened to scare off corporate sponsors leery of controversy. He planned to ignore the phrase, but later worried that his silence was perceived as a tacit endorsement of the sentiment. In October 2021, Brown's Brandonbilt Motorsports team was struggling to acquire sponsorship, as companies were hesitant to support him due to his indirect association with the chant and its political undertones. In December 2021, Brown, who is a Republican, said he had remained quiet during its proliferation because he had "zero desire to be involved in politics," before expressing his wish for it to be used in a positive context instead. Brown took a more mixed stance in an op-ed for ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'', in which he said he was "not going to endorse anyone" or be silent about issues important to him. On November 5, 2021,

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

president Steve Phelps denounced any implied association with the slogan, saying that the organization does not want to be associated with politics on either the left or the right.

Usage

Analysis

Linguist

John McWhorter John Hamilton McWhorter V (; born October 6, 1965) is an American linguist. He is an associate professor of linguistics at Columbia University, where he also teaches American studies and music history. He has authored a number of books on race ...

analyzed the linguistic attributes of the chant in ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'', likening the use of "Brandon" to a '' hlonipha'' a substitution of a forbidden word. He wrote that the anti-Biden euphemism has a similar tone to the word

SNAFU SNAFU is an acronym that is widely used to stand for the sarcastic expression "Situation normal: all fucked up". It is a well-known example of military slang, military acronym slang. It is sometimes censored to "all fouled up" or similar. It me ...

, which stands for "Situation Normal – All Fucked Up", or to the word " cuckservatives" (a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of "

cuckold A cuckold is the husband of an adulterous wife (or partner for unmarried companions); the wife of an adulterous husband is a cuckquean. In biology, a cuckold is a male who unwittingly invests parental effort in juveniles who are not geneti ...

" and "

conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

") which is used by some

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

s or

paleoconservative Paleoconservatism is a political philosophy and a strain of conservatism in the United States stressing American nationalism, Christian ethics, regionalism, traditionalist conservatism, and non-interventionism. Paleoconservatism's concerns over ...

s to describe neoconservatives perceived as being in fact liberals. McWhorter described the Let's Go Brandon phenomenon as "simply fascinating", and a "wild, woolly kink in the intersection of language, politics, wit, and creativity." On November 20, 2021, the editorial board of the ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'' said that the chant "reveals a moral bankruptcy of those who chant it even in church". In a November 23, 2021, opinion piece for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', Marc Thiessen, a former chief speechwriter for president

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, commented that the chant was tame compared to what has been said about other presidents. Initially, Thiessen was not a fan of the chant, but concluded his comments with, "it is a perfectly harmless and humorous way for Americans to express their frustration at a flailing – and failing – presidency."

Politics

Republican politicians have used the phrase publicly. On October 21, 2021, Republican congressman Bill Posey concluded remarks on the House floor with "Let's go, Brandon". Texas Governor

Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott ( ; born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and jurist who has served since 2015 as the 48th governor of Texas. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2002 to ...

used the phrase in an October 22 tweet. He attributed the popularity of the phrase to frustration with Biden's "disastrous policies", including his handling of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

and the southern border. The following week, Republican representative Jeff Duncan wore a face mask with the phrase printed on it on the House floor. Senator

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...

posed with a "Let's Go Brandon" sign that was hung in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

at the 2021 World Series. Later in 2021, a rapidly increasing number of national Republican politicians explicitly supported or referred to the phrase. On November 12, 2021, when asked about Biden's views regarding the phrase,

White House Press Secretary The White House press secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the executive branch of the United States federal government, especially with regard to the president, senior aides and ...

Jen Psaki responded, "I don't think he spends much time focused on it or thinking about it." While Biden and First Lady

Jill Biden Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (née Jacobs; born June 3, 1951) is an American educator who served as the first lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025 as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was second lady of the United States from 2009 to 20 ...

were taking phone calls for NORAD's Santa tracker hotline on December 24, 2021, a caller ended his chat by saying, "Merry Christmas and let's go Brandon," to which Biden smiled and responded, "Let's go Brandon, I agree." At the 2022

White House Correspondents' Dinner The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor ...

, Biden acknowledged the phrase by joking, "Republicans seem to support one fella, some guy named Brandon. He's having a good year, I'm kind of happy for him." In April 2022, Colorado state representative Dave Williams ran for the House of Representatives and attempted to be listed on the ballot under the name "Dave 'Let's Go Brandon' Williams". Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold denied Williams' request under the reasoning that "Let's go Brandon" is a slogan and not a nickname. Williams sued, with former Colorado Secretary of State

Scott Gessler Scott Gessler is an American politician and the former Secretary of State of Colorado, having served from 2011 to 2015. He is a former business owner and elections attorney. Gessler is a member of the Republican Party. Gessler is also a veteran ...

acting as his attorney. Although Denver District Judge Andrew McCallin agreed with Williams that he had successfully proved that he used "Let's go Brandon" as his nickname, the judge ultimately ruled that Secretary of State Griswold acted within her authority in denying Williams the use of the nickname on the ballot. Williams attempted to appeal the verdict to the

Colorado Supreme Court The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver, the court was established in 1876. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices who are appointed by the Governor of Colorado from a ...

, but the court refused to hear his appeal. The phrase has been used on bumper stickers supporting

Brandon Presley Brandon Everitt Presley (born July 21, 1977) is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton, Mississippi, from 2001 to 2007. He ...

, a Democratic candidate for

Governor of Mississippi The governor of Mississippi is the head of government of Mississippi and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Mississippi National Guard, military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either appro ...

in 2023.

Music

Soon after the chant went viral, an anti-Biden rap song called "

Let's Go Brandon "Let's Go Brandon" is a List of political slogans, political slogan and Internet meme used as a euphemism for the phrase "Fuck Joe Biden" in reference to former U.S. President (government title), President Joe Biden. Chants of "Fuck Joe Biden" ...

" was recorded by Loza Alexander. The song first went viral on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

before rising to number one on the iTunes Store Top Hip-Hop/Rap Songs list, and number two on the platform's Top Songs list, on October 18, 2021. Alexander's song reached number 38 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the week of November 6, 2021. Another song with the same title was released by Bryson Gray, a conservative Christian rapper, reaching number one on iTunes. It debuted at number 28 on the US Hot 100. The music video for Gray's song, which included the line "Biden said the jab stop the spread, it was lies" (in reference to

COVID-19 vaccination A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and func ...

efforts by Biden) was taken down by YouTube for containing "medical misinformation". A

country rap Country rap (also called country hip-hop, country hick-hop, and sometimes hick-hop) is a fusion genre of popular music, mixing country music with hip-hop–style singing or rapping. History Prototypes Early influences on the emergence of count ...

song of the same name was recorded by Forgiato Blow. On October 27, iTunes had different "Let's Go Brandon" recordings at numbers one, two, four and eight. On January 25, 2022,

Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Music of Detroit#Hip-hop, Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into m ...

released a single, "We the People", in which he attacks the

media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

, Dr.

Anthony Fauci Anthony Stephen Fauci ( ; born December 24, 1940) is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and the chief medical ...

, masks, COVID-19 restrictions, and

Big Tech Big Tech, also referred to as the Tech Giants or Tech Titans, is a collective term for the largest and most influential technology companies in the world. The label draws a parallel to similar classifications in other industries, such as "Big Oi ...

, and which features the chant "Let's go Brandon" in the chorus.

Brandon Brown sponsorship

In early November, a right-wing ERC20 token called "LGBcoin" (LGB) began trading, and on December 30, 2021, LGBcoin announced that it would be sponsoring Brandon Brown's Brandonbilt Motorsports for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Brandonbilt's spokesman told

Fox Business Fox Business (officially known as Fox Business Network, or FBN) is an American conservative business news channel and website publication owned by the Fox News Media division of Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios ...

that approval was received on December 26, but on January 5, 2022,

FOX Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...

journalist

Bob Pockrass Robert Pockrass (born March 1, 1969) is an American motorsports journalist and on-air talent for Fox Sports who covers NASCAR and IndyCar. Early life Pockrass moved to Indianapolis at 10 years old and attended Indiana University Bloomington, in ...

reported that

had not approved the sponsorship. In response, investor James Koutoulas threatened a lawsuit against NASCAR, and called for a boycott until the decision was reversed. In February 2022, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit against

Bitconnect Bitconnect (stylized ''bitconnect'' and also spelled BitConnect, Ticker symbol, ticker code BCC) was an open-source cryptocurrency in 2016–2018 that was connected with a high-yield investment program, a type of Ponzi scheme. After the platform ...

that the

Securities Act of 1933 The Securities Act of 1933, also known as the 1933 Act, the Securities Act, the Truth in Securities Act, the Federal Securities Act, and the '33 Act, was enacted by the United States Congress on May 27, 1933, during the Great Depression and afte ...

extends to targeted solicitation using

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

. In April 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed in Florida by plaintiff Eric De Ford against the LGBcoin cryptocurrency company and its promoters Brandon Brown,

, and political commentator

Candace Owens Candace Owens Farmer ( Owens; born April 29, 1989) is an American political commentator and author. Her political positions have mostly been described as conservative or far-right. Owens has gained recognition for her conservative activism—d ...

. The plaintiff alleges they made false or misleading statements about the LGBcoin in a

pump and dump Pump and dump (P&D) is a form of securities fraud that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock through false and misleading positive statements (pump), in order to sell the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price (dump). O ...

scheme.

Other

In 2022, a nine-year-old

autistic Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

boy named Brandon Brundidge saw a sign with the phrase; not knowing the political meaning, he assumed they were supporting him. It inspired him to try swimming and biking without training wheels. His mother, Sheletta Brundidge, wrote a book called ''Brandon Spots His Sign'', and they later met Brandon Brown.

Dark Brandon

The phrase "Dark Brandon" was initially a meme created by online progressives to parody supporters of "Dark

MAGA "Make America Great Again" (MAGA, ) is an American political slogan most recently popularized by Donald Trump during Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, his successful presidential campaigns in 2016 and Donald Trump 2024 presidential cam ...

", a prediction promoted by former U.S. representative

Madison Cawthorn David Madison Cawthorn (born August 1, 1995) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for North Carolina's 11th congressional district from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Republican P ...

that former president Trump would return to power "with a vengeance". It copies the " fashwave" aesthetic used initially by online supporters of figures like Donald Trump or

Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...

. In September 2022, the phrase was used to mock Biden and compare him to

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

, during his Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech on Trump and his supporters. During the speech, TV cameras framed Biden in front of a background illuminated by red lighting, along with two uniformed Marines on either side, with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' calling it "dark", and ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

'' saying the speech prompted "numerous comparisons of Biden to Hitler and Satan". The term was soon comically adopted by Biden's supporters and used in memes to support Biden's presidency. The term is currently used by both his supporters and his opponents.

Official reactions

Several White House officials, members of the Biden team, and U.S. Senator

Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from the state of Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the U ...

made posts referencing "Dark Brandon" on social media. Biden's 2024 re-election campaign also embraced the persona, making use of "Dark Brandon" imagery on their website's error message page and selling merchandise which references the meme. According to the campaign, such products accounted for more than half of online purchase revenue on Biden's official website store. During the 2023

White House Correspondents Dinner The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor ...

, Biden himself acknowledged the meme, donning aviator sunglasses and joking to the next speaker, "I'm going to be fine with your jokes, but I'm not sure about Dark Brandon." The term is often used when Biden "goes on the offensive". An

Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...

journalist wrote that the variant rebranded "him from ineffectual grandfather figure to a kind of political terminator". On August 3, Biden posted a reel on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

where he drank coffee from a mug with "Dark Brandon" imagery. The video went viral with over 9 million views and half a million likes. In February 2024, Biden used the persona in social media posts poking fun at a right-wing conspiracy theory alleging that

Super Bowl LVIII Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...

was rigged in favor of the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

to boost Biden's reelection campaign, with the help of singer-songwriter

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

and her boyfriend, Chiefs

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

Travis Kelce Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...

. Reception of the meme has been mixed, with some arguing that official acknowledgement by the

Biden administration Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...

"killed" the meme.

Gallery

File:Let's go Brandon at a bar.jpg, The slogan posted on a sign at a bar in

Jarbidge, Nevada Jarbidge is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, Elko County, Nevada, United States. Located at the bottom of the Jarbidge River's canyon near the north end of the Jarbidge Mountains, it lies within the Jarbid ...

File:Lets Go Brandon Meme in Parkinglot.jpg, An automobile with the slogan written on the rear glass, parked in

The Villages, Florida The Villages is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sumter, Marion, and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It forms the core of a broader master-planned, age-restricted community of the same name. Located in central Florida, approxi ...

File:Woman wearing Lets go Brandon shirt.jpg, A woman wearing a shirt with the slogan File:Anti Media Convoy, Feb 5th, 2022 (51864282816).jpg, A Canadian adaptation of the slogan with the name Brandon slightly changed to end with a suffix "eau", designed to rhyme with the name of

Canadian Prime Minister The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a ...

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...

References

{{Joe Biden 2021 quotations 2021 in American television 2021 controversies in the United States 2021 in NASCAR 2021 in sports in Alabama American political catchphrases Articles containing video clips Biden administration controversies Chants Conservatism in the United States Counterculture of the 2020s Cultural depictions of Joe Biden Euphemisms Internet memes introduced in 2021 Mass media issues Mondegreens NASCAR controversies NASCAR on television NASCAR terminology NBCSN October 2021 in the United States Political Internet memes introduced from the United States Politics and sports Sports controversies Television controversies in the United States 2021 neologisms