Admin Social Media Post Raises Eyebrows
In a not-so-sweet Valentine’s Day gesture, the official White House Twitter account posted a meme attacking House Speaker Mike Johnson over the recently failed border deal. The post has since been deleted, but screenshots of the meme have been circulating on social media and causing quite a stir.
The meme featured a photo of Johnson, smiling, against a bright red background. Accompanying the photo was a poem that cheekily read, “Roses are red, Violets are blue, The border deal was crushed, Because of you.” The caption simply read, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Speaker Johnson!”
Critics were quick to point out the optics of such a move, with many questioning the maturity and professionalism of the White House staff. “The President is 500 years old and his staff is 12,” social media user Derek Hunter wrote in response.
Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reacted to the post by exclaiming, “YIKES from the official White House Twitter account.” Others also expressed shock and dismay at the White House’s use of a meme to attack a government official.
However, some saw the humor in the post and praised the Biden social media team for their witty Valentine’s Day jab. One such commenter was Keith Olbermann, who tweeted, “Oh god the Biden social media team is GETTING IT.” Some pointed out that social media users may be reading too much into what could simply be a playful way to reach out to a political adversary.
Many critics of the White House post were quick to point out that the reason for the failed border deal was not Johnson’s response, but rather the Biden administration’s refusal to first admit that there was a crisis at the border and then propose a deal that would actually have an impact on said crisis. User Doug Powers eloquently tweeted, “If I was the House Speaker the response would be something like … Roses are Red, Passion Flowers are Azure, For Three F***ing Years, You Claimed the Border Was Secure.” Others simply questioned whether or not the situation at the border could truly be blamed on Speaker Johnson.
Another user, Jake Schneider, pointed out the irony of the White House trying to pin the failure of a border deal on Speaker Johnson. He wrote, “Did Speaker Johnson halt deportations? Stop Remain in Mexico? Halt border wall construction? End the border emergency? Unilaterally resettle millions of unvetted illegal immigrants? Nope that was all you, Big Guy.”
To counter the White House’s initial Valentine’s Day meme, some users took to social media to create their own versions, with one user posting a rewritten version that read, “Roses are red, Commies vote blue, You had the House for two years, This one is on you.”
The White House has not responded to the backlash over their post or offered any explanation as to why they thought it was appropriate. As of Thursday morning, the Valentine’s Day meme post has been removed from the official White House Twitter account.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Speaker Johnson! pic.twitter.com/0NPB04W4YR
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 14, 2024