Most of America was interested in a debate for the first time in months this week thanks to Donald Trump’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live this past week. Kimmel hit Trump with a question from Bernie Sanders — his guest for the following night — involving a possibly debate in California. Trump said it was a good idea and proceeds should go for charity, Sanders loved the idea, America loved the idea, and several networks lined up to make this happen. We even got a bunch of offers for money, with The Young Turks offering up $1 million towards a debated and Bob Arum’s Top Rank putting up a whopping $20 million to make it happen.
Then Trump pulled out. His campaign released one of those memorable statements online and effectively killed any debate that could’ve happened:
Based on the fact that the Democratic nominating process is totally rigged and Crooked Hillary Clinton and Deborah Wasserman Schultz will not allow Bernie Sanders to win, and now that I am the presumptive Republican nominee, it seems inappropriate that I would debate the second place finisher. Likewise, the networks want to make a killing on these events and are not proving to be too generous to charitable causes, in this case, women’s health issues. Therefore, as much as I want to debate Bernie Sanders – and it would be an easy payday – I will wait to debate the first place finisher in the Democratic Party, probably Crooked Hillary Clinton, or whoever it may be.
It’s one of those “open door/closed door” type of statements, but folks online decided that this statement made one thing very clear about Donald Trump: he’s a chicken. So is Hillary Clinton, apparently, leading to the hashtags #ChickenTrump and #ChickenHillary. Some could likely attribute this to the #BernieBros movement, but the entire election is already dumb enough. #ChickenTrump is a tag that doesn’t need any help to stand and it has led to many folks putting their best ideas forward on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/brendanfillmore/status/736330914192580608
when I'm done laughing I gonna figure out whether I'm more grossed out or intrigued by this #ChickenTrump pic.twitter.com/nazeSHqJ7G
— Sheba Grundy (@ShebaGrundy) May 28, 2016
It has also brought back two top notch gifs from earlier in the election, giving them a fresh and realistic feeling:
#ChickenTrump I just found this hashtag and the gif. So fitting. :D pic.twitter.com/mqTAFjQGel
— yangtheman (@yangtheman) May 28, 2016
I'm just going to leave this right here#ChickenTrump pic.twitter.com/bblP19vUuV
— Follow @TheKevinDalton (@KevinUncensored) May 27, 2016
But don’t think that was it for the memes, gifs, images, and reactions. Twitter provided a bevy of reactions for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton refusing to debate Bernie Sanders.
You wussy @realDonaldTrump – you're afraid to debate @BernieSanders ? You should be! #ChickenTrump
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) May 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/m3trik/status/736525994518007808
https://twitter.com/MsTrishLynn/status/736525932895318016
A media sensation! #chickentrump pic.twitter.com/GQXrSlSbhE
— Guy Cramb (@Highlnnder) May 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/END_OLIGARCHY/status/736429272970072065
https://twitter.com/WhichhHilllary/status/736420704418029568
Here's @realDonaldTrump thinking about debating truth-telling @BernieSanders. #ChickenTrump pic.twitter.com/aVf03vBhEc
— God (@almightygod) May 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/GreenMyHouz/status/736413792867753984
https://twitter.com/BERNIEORBUST1/status/736310093919051776
https://twitter.com/Lexialex/status/736454201253986304
Too easy #ChickenTrump pic.twitter.com/Wtqk6D0XT5
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) May 28, 2016
Here's a .GIF for #ChickenTrumphttps://t.co/5B1xkVyupI pic.twitter.com/QKn095cTod
— Jim Swift (@JimSwiftDC) May 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/SputnikInt/status/736399120751960064
https://twitter.com/zachhaller/status/736394796550348804
https://twitter.com/TheBaxterBean/status/736371429193682944
I might just post this every hour on the hour LOL #ChickenTrump pic.twitter.com/HqzWgqkkj0
— Type-O-Socialist (@RetroBerner) May 28, 2016
Both @realDonaldTrump and @HillaryClinton break promise to debate @BernieSanders #ChickenTrump pic.twitter.com/GRcrOujIZM
— RANDAL (@RandalZ) May 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/zachhaller/status/736352471040155648
And as long as this continues to be news, the hashtags should continue and should give Drake some reason to clap — since he’s certainly not clapping for the Raptors now.
Five hours later and #ChickenTrump is still trending. Wow. Faith in USA restored. pic.twitter.com/6Io0VRA6YR
— Michelle (@OfHomoSapiens) May 28, 2016
The only dark side to this current wave of reactions is how it’s giving chickens a bad comparison:
https://twitter.com/debostic/status/736342012333416453
#ChickenTrump is giving chickens a bad rep
— Top Secret Source (@mogem2) May 28, 2016
As George Carlin pointed out during the early days of the 21st century, chickens are decent people. They don’t deserve this kind of comparison from the public.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze_dBldmBDw