President Donald Trump has confounded his critics and delighted his supporters by sharing an animated video mocking Joe Biden.
The video: Trump posted the surreal video to his Twitter account on Wednesday night, and it has since been viewed nearly 9 million times.
- The 54-second clip was originally posted by user a pro-Trump meme account in December 2019.
In the primitive computer animation, a Biden avatar is seen pushing a handcar down a railroad track to the tune of ’80s funk classic “Electric Avenue” in futile pursuit of a barreling “Keep America Great” train.
- As the animated Biden pumps away, audio plays of viral footage from a 2017 speech in which the now-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee bizarrely recalls playing with black children while lifeguarding at a Delaware public pool in his youth.
- On his “hairy legs”: “And the kids used to come up and reach into the pool and rub my leg down so it was straight and then watch the hair come, come back up again,” Biden says.
- “I learned about roaches. I learned about kids jumping on my lap. And I love kids jumping on my lap.”
The reaction: The video was a lot for many on the left and right alike to process.
But whereas liberals were generally shocked and appalled, conservatives, like commentator Jason Howerton, had their minds blown in a good way.
Second Amendment activist JT Lewis was highly amused.
Trump surrogate Bruce LeVell invited everyone to join him on the “Trump train.”
Liz Harrington, the Republican National Committee’s national spokesperson, praised the army of pro-Trump meme-makers as “legends.”
Meme magic: Trump’s presidential campaigns have been unorthodox in using memes and engaging internet culture to reach voters.
- Analysts have pointed to the 2016 Trump campaign’s digital strategy as an important advantage over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s more traditional approach, which was sometimes tone-deaf in its overtures to internet culture.
- The president has also dominated Biden online in 2020.
