Brandon, What’s Your Source?

by: Raven Tyler

Dark MAGA, Let’s Go Brandon, Dark Brandon. What happens when the depths of the internet and political ideology collide?

The internet has had a direct and pervasive impact on politics that has reached a peak with the presidency of Donald Trump. It has since played an important role in informing the American masses of left- and right-wing ideals. However, due to the often-unfiltered nature of the Internet, its uses have also been manipulated to downplay or mock political news content. The meme “Dark Brandon” is one of the Internet’s more recent political jabs.

To understand Dark Brandon’s political background, we must go back to the United States Presidential election of 2016. Since his initial campaign, Former President Trump’s supporters have created an impenetrable online presence where they Thus, “Dark MAGA” was born in the depths of the Internet earlier this year as some of the right-wingers begins to rally for President Trump’s reelection in 2024. His supporters are struggling with the loss of the 2020 election to President Joe Biden— which they continue to claim was rigged. Dark MAGA proposes the ideation that when Former President Trump reclaims the presidency in the 2024 election, he should lead with a stronger hand and “deal with” his betrayers, such as Former Vice President Mike Pence and Former attorney general William Barr. It is important to note that this movement stems from an unconventional group on the far side of the right-wing who are incredibly loyal to the former president and have yet to accept the reality of the 2020 election.

This leads us to the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” which was coined in late 2021 when a reporter mistakenly translated the chants of a crowd at the Talladega racetrack where they were actually saying “Fuck Joe Biden.” Let’s Go Brandon then became the staple phrase for right-wing Trump supporters

In the infamous fashion of the internet, Dark Brandon is the left wing’s creation, a meme, that came from combining Dark MAGA and Let’s Go Brandon. The meme was their response to the often extreme ideals of right-wing members in an attempt to troll or mock those ideals by utilizing their own language against them. It was “designed to satirize Biden’s spineless centrism, and celebrate the occasional victory by the administration.” The memes depict the current president as a Batman-like character hunkering down and doing what needs to be done for the country—though this depiction is often parodical.

We have seen an incredible turn in politics since the 2016 election—the idea of “fake news” has become a household phrase. The collision of the internet and politics has increased confusion and misunderstanding about the government more than ever, building mistrust and heavy polarization between the left and right wings. While the constitutional right to free press and speech is necessary to uplift our voices, a lack of any regulation allows for misinformation to be more easily spread online.

Thomas Sachy, a current Georgia State University student and avid consumer of politics, notes that Dark MAGA is a cult of personality for Former President Trump, and Dark Brandon is the same for President Biden, however, much more ironically. He says, “I think the Dark Brandon memes are funny and ultimately have a positive effect, especially for young people to more easily digest political goings-ons. While it may be satirical and not meant to be taken seriously, it is highlighting some of the positive things the Biden administration has achieved recently—even though it may be the bare minimum.” Sachy consumes most of his news by watching independent political commentators like The Majority Report and the David Pakman Show through YouTube. He shared that expanding news media beyond cable stations like CNN or Fox News, is a good alternative because it allows viewers a variety of viewpoints that may not be available through privately funded networks.

In the case of Dark Brandon, one misinterpretation from a newscaster started an entire movement on the Internet, that would make an impression on across the country. The same can happen with false or misleading information, so it is vital to know where and who is providing said news. However, social media outlets, like Instagram, have allowed the ability for fast data transportation of news in more accessible ways, educating more people about the truth regarding politics. The Instagram pages @impact, @so.informed, and @pslweb provide accessible infographics that explain today’s most pressing political updates. Knowing who or what to trust with political news can be confusing with seemingly endless outlets of information to consume.  There are reliable sources, such as Ad Fontes Media and the AllSides Media Bias Chart, that offer a breakdown on the political biases of the country’s most popular news outlets. Generally, PBS, Pew Research Center, and Associated Press offer the least biased news that strictly relays fact. The news is easily manipulated depending on its media outlet, so one must evaluate their own political values to determine what news channels to consume to avoid potentially negative influences from unreliable sources.