A parent told President Joe Biden "Let's Go Brandon!" during a Santa tracker event with First Lady Jill Biden in tow at the White House complex on Friday. And Biden said he agreed. Apparently unaware of the gibe, "Let's Go Brandon, I agree," the president said in response, making him almost instantly getting trolled on social media.
The term, "Let's Go Brandon!" which has become a rallying cry for many conservatives, is code for a profane insult directed at Biden. Following the untoward incident, the call was disconnected by White House officials, with Biden looking upset about the unexpected disruption.
Biden Insulted
Joe Biden was hosting the traditional NORAD Santa tracker phone call event with children tracking Father Christmas' sleigh when a father told the president "Let's go Brandon". The dad named Jared from Oregon first said, "Merry Christmas" and then after a moment's pause said, "Let's Go Brandon!" - code on the right for "f**k Joe Biden" —after his kids told the president what they wanted from Santa Claus.
Jared, a father of four — Griffin, 11, Hunter, three, Piper, four, Penelope, two — then himself got the shock of his life as Biden failed to understand his gibe and said: "Let's Go Brandon, I agree."
In a bid to do damage control, White House officials immediately disconnected the call. However, the clip of the exchange got immediate reaction online, with conservative blogger Erick Erickson commenting: "Confession: I find it in poor taste to tell the President of the United States "Let's go Brandon" when the man just wanted to wish you Merry Christmas. Good manners should still matter."
The first lady's spokeman Michael LaRosa answered "Yep." to Erickson's tweet.
"I think the let's go Brandon stuff is harmless and funny, but if you tell someone to go f**k themselves when they are being nice to your kid, you're just a d**k. Merry Christmas!" said Tommy Vietor, a former aide to President Barack Obama.
Biden and His Gaffes
"Let's Go Brandon", a coded jibe, has been popularized by Conservatives at the end of a televised Nascar stock car race in Talladega, Alabama, on 2 October. During the event, an NBC reporter, Kelli Stavast, was interviewing the winner, driver Brandon Brown, when members of the crowd in the grandstand behind them began chanting an obscenity directed at the president.
The slogan: F**k Joe Biden" was clearly picked up on the broadcast's audio. Whether by mistake or as an attempt to deflect from the swearing on live television, Stavast told Brown that the crowd were actually saying "Let's go Brandon" and not "F**k Joe Biden".
The slogan has since become a viral meme that has even been worn on a face mask by a Republican member of the US House of Representatives.
However, it seems everyone including the Democrats, understand the gibe except for Biden himself. That gets clear from Biden's reaction after the call was disconnected.
Biden added: "Hey, by the way, are you in Oregon? Where's your home? I think we lost him." According to a recent Gallup poll, only 5% of voters who identify as Republican currently approve of the president's performance.
That same poll shows Biden's overall approval rating has dipped to 43%.
