WASHINGTON — As the nation ushered in new leadership, while still fighting a pandemic, D.C. found ways to pause and mark the moment. Some soaked in the emotions of seeing the first female, Black, South Asian American vice president sworn in, while others were quick to offer what they hoped to see accomplished by the new administration.
Yet through it all, Sen. Bernie Sanders, president Biden's former political rival, emerged as the trending topic on social media, leading many to ask... what did he do this time? Turns out, Bernie went viral for simply being Bernie.
He showed up with pieces of mail, wearing festive mittens and sat alone, looking none too pleased about his schedule for the day.
Naturally, the internet had a field day, photoshopping images of the senator arriving at the inauguration and waiting for it to begin, placing him on Metro, in movie scenes and even a few iconic locations around the District (Bernie does Ben's, anyone??)
In a sea of designer fashion ensembles, -- from Ralph Lauren to Christopher John Rogers, Sergio Hudson and Markarian --Twitter was quick to dub Sanders' no-nonsense look as "post office chic."
Bernie had places to be, people to see folks...
And it's not the first time Sanders' mittens, or his utility coat, have received national acclaim! According to Seven Days, the mittens were made by Jen Ellis, a Vermont teacher. Ellis told the publication she used repurposed sweater wool and lined them with fleece made out of recycled plastic bottles to make mittens for teachers and Sanders.
Fans of Sanders were also quick to point out that the jacket he wore at the inauguration matched the one that appeared in the "I am once again asking for your financial support" meme from his 2020 presidential campaign.
Given the spirit of the day, it didn't take long for posters to put their own political spin on Bernie's vibe.
We'd be remiss if we didn't include at least one "Oh, Metro..." joke.
Bernie spoke out Thursday about his reaction to once again going viral, and in typical fashion expressed moderate pleasure if it "makes people aware that we make good mittens in Vermont ... we have some good coats as well.”
WUSA9 had to get in on the fun, too, with a little good-natured competition quickly spreading around the newsroom to see who could photoshop the best Bernie. Who gets your vote??
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame announced that they have put a bobblehead version of Sander's quirky and down-home appearance on the inauguration stage Wednesday up for pre-sale for $25 each.