Democrats Struggle with Memes Amid Shutdown Controversy

Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of RealClearPolitics, recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly show, where he chuckled about the Democrats’ ongoing issues with memes, suggesting that they seem a bit left out of the humor.

The Democrats were visibly upset after a video featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, which showed him with a mustache and a sombrero, was posted by former President Donald Trump. Kelly noted that the Democrats “haven’t conveyed the message” effectively since the video emerged, and Bevan agreed.

“That’s pretty accurate,” Bevan remarked. “One of the more intriguing aspects of recent politics is how the Democrats seem to struggle with memes. While the Republicans, particularly Trump and his supporters, have really mastered the art of it, the Democrats are a bit behind.” He pointed out the bizarre nature of Jeffries’ attempts to engage with the meme culture.

Bevan explained that what was once meant to be humorous has turned into a running joke, highlighting that most Democrats, instead of joining in, are just reacting angrily and calling it racist. He noted a specific instance where JD Vance made a point in a sort of Spanglish that wasn’t well-received.

The video from Trump’s platform came right before Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, pushed back against a GOP spending bill that would halt government operations. Despite Democrats like Jeffries labeling these memes as “nasty” and “racist,” Trump retaliated by posting a version of the meme with the sombrero, mustache, and mariachi music.

In response to the shutdown, Republicans took the opportunity to criticize Democrats, who attempted to counter with an extensive livestream that ultimately faced numerous technical difficulties and managed to attract only a handful of viewers. According to reports, it seemed to be more of a burden than a means of communication.

Bevan described the Democrats’ live-stream efforts as resembling a “telethon,” commenting that the party appears to be in a rather chaotic state. He mused about the potential political consequences of these actions, pondering whether their political standing would be affected at all or if they existed in separate realities where their base might not even notice the fallout.

However, he wasn’t convinced it would be a total loss for them. “It’s clear they’re blocking efforts to reopen the government, but just how much they’ll suffer politically remains uncertain,” he pointed out.

On top of the livestream, the Democrats also shared a video on their Instagram, humorously captioned “Gov Shutdown is a cat,” depicting kittens that represented both parties, where the Republicans took the blame for the shutdown.

Moreover, California Governor Gavin Newsom attempted to replicate the sombrero meme, posting a video on social media that portrayed House Speaker Mike Johnson as a minion, alongside the caption, “Trump’s Minion Mike lies to Americans.”