in brief
- Joe Biden shared a self-deprecating tweet featuring laser eyes in response to conspiracy theories.
- The crypto community interpreted it as a reference to Bitcoin rather than its intended political message.
On Super Bowl Sunday, an image of Joe Biden sporting laser eyes was intended to mock the “Dark Brandon” meme, but the Bitcoin community perceived it differently.
What Happened: The President’s social media team responded to conspiracy theories with self-aware humor.
In case you’re unaware, the “Dark Brandon” meme stems from a fringe conspiracy theory accusing President Joe Biden of manipulating the outcome of the Chiefs’ victory to appeal to Taylor Swift fans.
For instance, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speculated about potential endorsements for Biden from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, calling them an “artificially culturally propped-up couple” for the 2024 election.
However, the Bitcoin community had a different take.
“BITCOIN FTW!!” exclaimed self-proclaimed value investor Mike Alfred. “This is about Bitcoin,” stated “Bitcoin and the Monetary Revolution” author Eric Yakes.
Some praised the self-ironic gesture, with Troy Cross from the Bitcoin Policy Institute calling it “a good day for the White House interns.” Adam Cochran, an Ethereum advocate, commended the President and his social media team for their sense of humor, saying “you gotta give props.”
However, Fox Business anchor and ETF reporter Eleanor Terrett questioned the move, wondering if the President was attempting to court the crypto vote with his tweet.
Why It’s Significant: It’s improbable that the president was intentionally targeting the crypto vote with his tweet, especially considering this wasn’t his initial instance of using laser eyes.
In August 2023, the President’s social media team had previously acknowledged the meme, featuring Biden drinking from a cup with “President Biden with laser eyes.” The “Brandon” derogatory term originated in August 2021 and morphed into “Dark Brandon” over time, as is common with internet memes.
What Comes Next: It remains uncertain whether Biden will continue making laser eyes appearances. If he, like Edward Snowden, monitors the Bitcoin chart, his social media team might consider it a viable option given Bitcoin’s price movement.
