Bernie Sanders fans go wild over his mittens at Biden inauguration

Fans of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders went wild for his look at Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony on Wednesday.

Mr Sanders, a prominent progressive politician who was Mr Biden’s closest rival for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, attended the former vice-president’s inauguration ceremony in Washington, DC on Wednesday.

His outfit caught the eye of his fans on social media, who were quick to praise his practical look in the cold DC temperatures, as others chose more formal outfits.

Mr Sanders wore a winter coat that became synonymous with the senator, after a video address he wore it for was made into an internet meme.

He paired the coat with a pair of mittens made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vermont, which was knit from “repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic bottles,” according to BuzzFeed News.

YelloPolitics reporter Hunter Schwartz referenced the meme while writing about Mr Sanders’ coat, tweeting: “Bernie is wearing his I am once again asking you jacket.”

Twitter user @LeighGiangreco wrote: “I love Bernie’s ‘I couldn’t care less about pomp and circumstance’ coat and mittens combo,” while Buzzfeed writer Tanya Chen added: “I've never related to an energy more.”

User @Nolanmobie simply wrote: “Bernie and his mittens,” as writer Evan Ross Katz added: “Love him and his mittens!”

Tweeting about Mr Sanders’ casual look for the historic event, @AstasiaWill wrote: “Bernie has places to be after this 😭,” while @Clairemalone joked: “Bernie dressed to stand on line at the post office.”

Mr Sander’s will have a more prominent role than he has in previous terms during Mr Biden’s presidency, as he will serve as the chair of the Senate Budget Committee from 20 January.

However, despite being Mr Biden’s closest challenger in the Democratic primary, Mr Sanders has not been nominated for a position in his Cabinet.

Following the Georgia Senate runoff elections in early January, Mr Biden revealed that he gave “serious consideration” to giving Mr Sanders the role of Labor secretary, which Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was eventually nominated for.

Speaking at a press conference on 8 January, Mr Biden said that he did not choose Mr Sanders for the role because “we can’t put control of the Senate at risk on the outcome of a special election in Vermont.”

If Mr Sanders had become Labor secretary, then his seat in the Senate would have needed to be filled by an election, which would have put the Democratic majority at risk.

However, Mr Biden also praised Mr Sanders, saying he “could have done a fantastic job” and added that he could not “think of no more passionate, devoted ally to working people in this country.”

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