Two years ago the phrase "Let's go Brandon" became a national phenomenon after an NBC reporter claimed she “misheard” chants of “F—k Joe Biden!” at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega.
At first, the phrase became a viral joke on social media, but it eventually became a song that was at the top of the iTunes charts. It even has a dance. It’s also on t-shirts, bumper stickers, and more.
The phrase became so popular that it was often heard during sporting events. In fact, it is widely believed Biden skipped the Army-Navy football game in 2021 to avoid chants of “Let’s go Brandon!"
But the best moment in the history of "Let's go Brandon," was when Joe and Jill Biden did a video call into NORAD to see where Santa was and speak to some families on the phone. After speaking with some kids, a father said to the Bidens, “I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas as well. Merry Christmas, and Let’s go Brandon.”
“Let’s go, Brandon. I agree,” Biden said in response.
Luckily for us, the event was live-streamed, and we have the video.
HERE IT IS -- Joe Biden ACTUALLY says "Let's Go Brandon!"
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 24, 2021
The President and First Lady were speaking with kids calling NORAD about Santa when a dad butted in with, "Merry Christmas and Let's Go Brandon."
Joe: "Let's Go Brandon, I agree." pic.twitter.com/axyw2Y2g0U
The father recorded his end of the call and posted the video to YouTube:
It was a hilarious moment, but sadly, the father who tricked Joe Biden, Jared Schmeck, became the target of death threats for having some fun at Joe Biden's expense.
“And now I am being attacked for utilizing my freedom of speech,” Schmeck told The Oregonian in December 2021. He also said that he started getting “vague but threatening” phone calls in the aftermath of the call.
“I understand there is a vulgar meaning to ‘Let’s go Brandon,’ but I’m not that simple minded, no matter how I feel about him,” he said. “He seems likes he’s a cordial guy. There’s no animosity or anything like that. It was merely just an innocent jest to also express my God-given right to express my frustrations in a joking manner.…I love him just like I love any other brother or sister.”
Schmeck insists he meant no disrespect.
“At the end of the day, I have nothing against Mr. Biden, but I am frustrated because I think he can be doing a better job,” said Schmeck, who works for an electric company and was previously a Medford police officer for six years until he resigned in July 2018. “I mean no disrespect to him.”
One person who joined in on the attacks on Schmeck was Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who took to Twitter on Christmas Day to join the pile-on.
Don’t waste your time on the pathetic dad who humiliated his family to say F-U to the president on Christmas Eve. He’s irrelevant. Spend your time asking why Republican leaders are celebrating him. This isn’t my parents’ Republican Party. This new crew are indecent to their core. https://t.co/DQdMR6HnMN
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) December 26, 2021
Swalwell does know a lot about being humiliated on national television, but I'm surprised he had nothing better to do on Christmas.
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