What Does 'Dark Brandon' Really Mean?
Joe Biden's approval rating just hit a new eyebrow-raising milestone, bringing him much closer to controversial predecessor Donald Trump's low ratings than he would like. According to Newsweek, Biden's approval rating stands at just 37.2 percent, per RealClear Politics. Further, he's even less popular than Trump was at the height of the infamous investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election. Biden's decline began back in August 2021, following the removal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Although Biden's approval rating hasn't exactly plummeted in the time since, it has dropped significantly, particularly given concerns over inflation, wages, and environmental issues. Put simply, ordinary Americans are finding it tough to believe in Biden. In fact, NPR revealed he's losing support from within the Democratic party too. Even more concerning, The Guardian refers to a NewsNation / Decision Desk HQ poll, which suggested the vast majority of citizens don't want either Biden or Trump to run again in 2024.
The commander-in-chief's luck may be changing, however, thanks to a meme that's quickly gaining traction among internet denizens and normies alike.
President Joe Biden may finally be exiting his flop era
Mostly offline President Joe Biden is the antithesis of his former opponent, Donald Trump's, extremely online persona. But that hasn't stopped Biden's supporters from using a popular meme to lift him up. The Independent reports that, buoyed by some much-needed good news from the Biden administration, supporters have re-fashioned so-called "Dark Brandon" memes to create an image of their fearless leader as the balm for liberal despair.
Initially created as a way of communicating how hopeless Democrats felt over the prevalence of gun violence and the loss of abortion rights, for instance, the meme has found a new lease of life celebrating recent victories, including tax reforms and a promising new healthcare bill. Cleverly, Dark Brandon also reclaims the Republican-favored "Let's go, Brandon" and "Dark MAGA" memes in one fell swoop.
Thus, the president has apparently entered his "Brandonized" era. Over on Reddit's r/darkbrandon channel, there are memes featuring Biden as Thanos snapping his fingers, and as a lounging Skeletor sarcastically apologizing for taxing the mega-rich, among others. White House operatives and high-ranking Democrats alike have even begun sharing the memes, solidifying their legitimacy.
As Vox argues, although the meme's origins are in right-wing circles, at least it gives liberals the opportunity to utilize ironic internet humor for good for once.
Is Biden planning to run for re-election in 2024?
The president's approval ratings are especially important coming up to the midterm elections, after which Donald Trump is widely expected to announce his intention to run again. Per Newsweek, during a recent promotional appearance in Arizona, Trump confidently, and inaccurately, claimed, "I ran twice, I won twice, and did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions more votes in 2020 than we got in 2016."
Trump also pointed to how America has allegedly been run into the ground in his absence. Joe Biden's 2024 plans are slightly clearer, with The Hill revealing earlier this year that Biden confided in former boss and former President Barack Obama his intention to run for re-election when the time comes. Two insiders confirmed Biden had privately shared his plans with Obama, though the White House has yet to make any kind of official announcement.
As for competing against his previous opponent again, Biden welcomes the idea. Politico reports the president slyly acknowledged he'd be "very fortunate" to do so, during a press conference in Brussels. Maybe Biden really has entered his "Brandonized" era for good.