'Let's go, Brandon' secretly insults President Biden. 'Thank you, Brandon' just means thanks
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A month after "Let's go, Brandon" went viral, the polite clapback #ThankYouBrandon started trending.
Unlike #LetsGoBrandon — the seemingly innocent statement that mocks President Joe Biden and is code for "(expletive) Joe Biden" — "Thank you, Brandon," "Thanks, Brandon" and "Thank You, Biden" simply mean thanks.
When did #ThankYouBrandon start trending?
The thank-you hashtags started Nov. 5 or what some on social media called "infrastructure week." That's when the House passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill in a vote of 228-206. That approves the largest transportation spending package in U.S. history. Roads, waterways, bridges and high-speed internet access are some of the areas targeted for improvement in Biden's infrastructure legislation.
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The "Thank you, Brandon" phrase online has accompanied tweets, posts and memes backing Biden on the economy and declining COVID case numbers. Biden supporters were able to flip the narrative on the name Brandon, which, like "Karen" and "Ken," gained internet notoriety amid politics and the COVID pandemic.
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"Star Trek" star George Takei tweeted: "With these economic numbers, I gotta say it, too. #ThankYouBrandon!"
With these economic numbers, I gotta say it, too. #ThankYouBrandon!
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 5, 2021
Like its vulgar predecessor, "Let's go, Brandon," the new Brandon phrase has been printed on T-shirts, mugs, signs and other memorabilia.
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I'm just enjoying a cup of Joe and a smile this morning. #ThankYouBrandon pic.twitter.com/b6k5ibLc4l
— George Migs (@GeorgeMigliacc1) November 7, 2021
#ThankYouBrandon Even dogs know. pic.twitter.com/hL0TUcuQnw
— catbird 🌊 (@catbirdx) November 5, 2021
America is grateful. #ThankYouBrandon pic.twitter.com/ijd3Hc0iHP
— Lopez (@LopezLovinLife) November 5, 2021
But #ThanksBrandon has also backfired — social media users include the hashtag in sarcastic insults and memes lambasting Biden.
Who came up with 'Let's go, Brandon' phrase?
How did this whole "Brandon" business start?
During an Oct. 2 NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, driver Brandon Brown was being interviewed by NBC Sports after he won. The NASCAR crowd was chanting something in the background that the sports reporter assumed was "Let's go, Brandon" to cheer on the 28-year-old NASCAR driver. The crowd apparently was chanting "F--- Joe Biden."
In some instances, #LetsGoBrandon is misspelled as #LetsGoBranden on social media, but the intention is still the same.
List: Politicians who used #LetsGoBrandon on social, in a speech and carved on a pumpkin
What is the #LetsGoBrandonChallenge?
In spite of the explicit meaning in "Let's go, Brandon," there is another "Brandon" hashtag gaining steam on social media: #LetsGoBrandonChallenge
Trending on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok since early November, the hashtag #LetsGoBrandonChallenge asks users to post a "Let's go, Brandon"-type insult, meme, photo, phrase or video without using curse words. It's a clapback to #ThankYouBrandon, which, of course, was a "clean" response to #LetsGoBrandon.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Let's go, Brandon is still trending. So is Biden clapback #ThanksBrandon