It looks like the hottest new bars on Twitter aren’t coming from rappers, but are instead coming from a very familiar face. Bernie Sanders, the grizzled, junior United States Senator for Vermont and 2016 presidential candidate, is stepping up his second presidential campaign with a more youth-oriented approach that has some folks on Twitter already bestowing him with a new nickname: Trap Beat Bernie.
This afternoon, I attended a Senate intelligence briefing where the Trump administration presented its policy on Iran. Without going into specifics, let me just say: If you think the war in Iraq was a disaster, in all likelihood a war with Iran would be far worse. pic.twitter.com/UqgAX7l2vx
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 21, 2019
After receiving criticism in his 2016 campaign for failing to appeal to Black voters, it appears that Bernie’s team has refocused their social media approach. While much of Sanders’ messaging remains the same, nailing the same anti-war talking points that have been one of the cornerstones of his Democratic Socialist platform for a good, long while, now he’s delivering those talking points over pulse-pounding, likely license-free trap beats that have turned his stump speeches into something like politically-charged battle raps.
I was right about Vietnam.
I was right about Iraq.
I will do everything in my power to prevent a war with Iran.
I apologize to no one. pic.twitter.com/Lna3oBZMKB
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 24, 2019
While delivering “bars” like, “If you think the war in Iraq was a disaster, in all likelihood a war with Iran would be far worse,” with his usual gravelly cadence, the seasoned public servant’s new backing tracks have attracted renewed attention that has social media breaking out the gifs and turning Trap Beat Bernie into a burgeoning meme in its own right.
Bernie Sanders *speaking in monotone over a background trap beat* : how about we don't do another round of war crimes
me: pic.twitter.com/7PQmeLlBNK
— brando (@tezzzeta) May 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/snarkreturns/status/1131934519949484032
A trap beat follows Bernie wherever he goes 🔥
— ladies and gentlemen, this man is for the birds! (@samspadino) May 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/FOG_E/status/1131904031234961409
https://twitter.com/fordgrandorder/status/1131969512062853120
https://twitter.com/scieze/status/1131923481904504832
While leaning into this new characterization may be good for him, he should also be wary; overly pandering on social media bit his 2016 Democratic rival Hilary Clinton in the tuchus back then and could do so for him now — especially since some of the newest, online-native members of Congress like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have proven so much more adept at using their platforms to explain their policies, without having to rely on danceable backing beats.
