Since last fall, right-wingers have held fast to a slogan meant to remind us of their undying contempt for President Joe Biden. “Let’s Go Brandon!” was what a NASCAR reporter claimed a crowd at the Talladega Superspeedway had begun to chant one day in October — ostensibly in support of driver Brandon Brown — when, in fact, they were yelling “Fuck Joe Biden!” (The president was not in attendance.) Lo, a coded meme for snickering conservatives was born.
Despite helpful reminders that any American is free to bellow “Fuck Joe Biden!” to their heart’s content — First Amendment, baby — the “Brandon” alter ego has stuck around. Lately, inspired by efforts from Trump supporters to platform a “Dark MAGA” movement that calls for the former president to take vengeance on his enemies à la the “Storm” of QAnon lore, dirtbag leftists have begun to conjure the specter of “Dark Brandon.” This would be Biden unchained, malevolent, no longer concerned with respectability or bipartisanship. With prophecies of “Dark Brandon Rising” and exhortations to “trust the plan,” these memes borrow the apocalyptic vibes of Q and other extremist MAGA content to mirror weird fantasies from the opposite fringe. Dark Brandon, for example, has the ability to send oil prices tumbling. Is that good? Dark Brandon doesn’t care.
Dark Brandon is also the likely inspiration for this act of terror in which a motorist crashed their car into a store that sells Trump merchandise. He doesn’t shy away from such violent tactics.
Of course, Dark Brandon also has no problem detaining or executing threats to his dominion…
And he’s drawing his Marxist allies ever closer as he consolidates power.
Craziest of all, Dark Brandon is purging illegal immigration cases, is ready to change the filibuster rules in order to codify Roe v. Wade and renewing loyalty along his base.
If the cultish devotion that swirled around Trump cast him as a hyper-competent, ultra-patriotic, alpha male negotiator who destroyed agents of liberalism almost as an afterthought, Dark Brandon brings the totalitarianism to the fore, skewering Republican notions that Biden is some dangerous ideological strongman. The Biden who is even half as radical as his opponents claim would actually be pretty cool, the shitposters seem to be saying. Too bad he’s no more than a boogeyman Fox News made up to scare your parents before bed. Unless we choose to believe.
Okay, I pledge my soul to Dark Brandon. What’s the worst that could happen? Not like Regular Brandon was doing such a bang-up job. Trust the process. We’re finally winning.
Miles Klee
Miles Klee is MEL’s resident tank-top dirtbag, shitposter and meme expert. He’s also the author of the novel ‘Ivyland’ and a story collection, ‘True False.’
