Bernie Sanders Mittens
Senator Bernie Sanders sitting bundled in mittens at Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration — instantly photoshopped into every scene on Earth.
A wholesome photoshop meme placing Bernie Sanders — arms crossed, wearing a parka and distinctive brown-and-white mittens — into random locations. The cutout captured a relatable 'I'm cold and unimpressed' energy during a formal national event. It became one of the fastest-spreading inauguration memes, with Bernie himself fundraising from the image.
History
On January 20, 2021, photographer Brendan Smialowski captured Bernie Sanders seated at President Joe Biden's inauguration in Washington, D.C. The image spread within hours on Twitter; users isolated Bernie and pasted him into movies, albums, and historical photos. Sanders raised over $1.8 million for charity selling merchandise featuring the meme. Know Your Meme and major news outlets documented the meme the same day.
Cultural scores
Editorial estimates of cultural weight — Current Popularity tracks how much people are posting about this now, not historical fame.
Current Popularity = how actively people are posting about this today. Influence = lasting footprint. Cringe = online reception. Brainrot = absurdist energy. Scores last reviewed 2026-07-25. How scoring works
Timeline
Jan 20, 2021
Brendan Smialowski's inauguration photo of Bernie in mittens goes viral
Jan 20–21, 2021
Photoshop edits flood Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit
Jan 2021
Bernie sells meme merch; proceeds go to Vermont charities
Feb 2021
Mittens maker Jen Ellis gains media attention for the handmade gloves
2021+
Remains a reference for 'just vibing at big events' meme energy
Examples
- “Bernie pasted into the Last Supper, on the moon, at a rave”
- “Me at the party while everyone else is mingling [Bernie mittens]”
- “Official Bernie cutout tool released for meme makers”
Media
Related entries
Culturally linked — not random recommendations.
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This Is Fine
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NFT Boom & Bored Ape Yacht Club
EventThe 2021–2022 NFT mania — profile-picture projects, celebrity mints, and Bored Ape Yacht Club as the face of JPEG speculation before the crypto winter.
Chewbacca Mom
EventCandace Payne's May 2016 Facebook Live video laughing in a Chewbacca mask — one of the first mega-viral Facebook Live moments, with hundreds of millions of views.
References
Sources behind this entry. Prefer primary reporting and established culture archives over rumor.
- Bernie Sanders inauguration photo — Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org