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Bernie Sanders And His Mittens Win The Inauguration Day Meme Game

Sen. Bernie Sanders sits in the bleachers on Capitol Hill before Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president.
Brendan Smialowski
/
AFP via Getty Images
Sen. Bernie Sanders sits in the bleachers on Capitol Hill before Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president.

Inauguration Day wouldn't be complete without a meme or two to mark the occasion.

The creation of memes on the day when past presidents and lawmakers watch as a new president takes the oath of office has become somewhat of a hallmark in recent years.

Who can forget, for example, former President George W. Bush's trials with a rain poncho during former President Trump's inauguration?

Wednesday offered several viable contenders for the most celebrated meme of the day.

There's several dedicated to former First Lady Michelle Obama's stunning burgundy Sergio Hudson ensemble, and the change in expression on her face from the last time she attended a presidential inauguration.

And Lady Gaga, who sang the national anthem, had fans comparing her outfit with that of the character Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.

No doubt, Jennifer Lopez, who also performed during the inaugural ceremony, and her fiancé Alex Rodriguez' elaborate U.S. Capitol photo shoot will lead to some promising memes as well.

But it was Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a former presidential contender himself, whose expression and cozy coat stole the show.

Some had praise for his choice of mittens.

Still others were amused at the senator's outfit selection and curmudgeonly expression.

Others appreciated the sensible choice of outerwear on a chilly day in D.C.

Some pointed out that the jacket, which appears to be from Burton, a snowboarding company based in his home state of Vermont, is the same one Sanders wore in his now-famous "I am once again asking" video.

Still more speculated at what was in the envelope the 79-year-old senator was carrying.

And others lifted the image of the senator and placed him in various locations.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Barbara Sprunt is a producer on NPR's Washington desk, where she reports and produces breaking news and feature political content. She formerly produced the NPR Politics Podcast and got her start in radio at as an intern on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered and Tell Me More with Michel Martin. She is an alumnus of the Paul Miller Reporting Fellowship at the National Press Foundation. She is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania native.
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