Joe Biden Officially Recognizes Dark Brandon As His Alter Ego

In remarks at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night, President Joe Biden himself officially acknowledged the existence of Dark Brandon. This acknowledgment essentially proves that Biden has personally viewed, interacted with or at least been informed about the plethora of Dark Brandon meme content circulating online the last couple of years.

lmao Biden leaves the podium by putting on shades and making a Dark Brandon reference. amazing pic.twitter.com/bwNixDupTi

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 30, 2023

In the viral video, Biden is seen telling jokes, as is traditional at the White House Correspondents Dinner. He pulls out a pair of dark shades, puts them on and says, "I'm going to be fine with your jokes, but I'm not sure Dark Brandon will be."

This phrasing suggests that Joe Biden interprets Dark Brandon as a kind of alter ego — a Gollum to his Sméagol that he can't quite control.

This official acknowledgment perhaps completes Dark Brandon's arc as one of the first memes to become an essential part of a White House communications strategy. Already, Dark Brandon merchandise has been featured in Biden's official campaign store, appearing shortly after his announcement that he'll be running again in 2024.

In the wake of the Correspondents' Dinner clip making the rounds online, many posters were exuberant to see Dark Brandon officially acknowledged, in words, by the 46th President.

We memed Dark Brandon into existence oh my godpic.twitter.com/nIgMRFBMHK

— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) April 30, 2023

Others, notably opponents of Biden, called the official nod to the viral meme "cringe."

Joe Biden just called himself “Dark Brandon”

Cringe

pic.twitter.com/Wa81flWDFI

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 30, 2023