Yet, it was no meme page or troll account posting that image: It was posted on Biden’s own X page early on Monday. Coming against the backdrop of Israel’s brutal war on Gaza that has killed more than 28,000 people and that the US has backed, the image prompted particular criticism of Biden by some social media users.
Many suggested that Biden’s post was distasteful and insensitive as it came amid Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.
While calling for an end to civilian deaths in Gaza, the Biden administration continues to sell and supply weapons to Israel.
“But I don’t think Biden is thinking of the global audience here,” he said. “He is mostly thinking about his US audience.”
“The meme in itself is a political communication tool,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is being weaponised by different parties in order to attract attention and distract from other issues.”
Biden is not the only politician who has used memes to relay political messaging. Social media teams and followers of politicians including former US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have banked on memes and internet trends to further political messages.
By this logic, nobody can do or say anything ever because there are unspeakably terrible things going on at all times, forever. Gaza, while terrible, isn’t even the only terrible thing happening. There were terrible things going on before. There will be terrible things to come after.
This isn’t intended to minimize the suffering of anyone, but it’s impractical to demand that a leader only speak in a tone appropriate to the worst thing currently going on on the planet.