The Grumpy Senator Who Conquered Inauguration Day
On January 20, 2021, while the world watched Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration, one image dominated social media: Bernie Sanders sitting alone, arms crossed, wearing oversized mittens and a practical winter coat. The photo became 2021’s first viral sensation, spawning millions of memes within 48 hours.
The Photo
Photographer Brendan Smialowski captured Sanders sitting socially distanced at the inauguration, bundled against the cold while others wore designer coats. His recycled brown coat, Burton snowboard jacket, and handmade wool mittens (knitted by Vermont teacher Jen Ellis from repurposed sweaters) contrasted sharply with the ceremony’s formality.
Sanders’ posture—arms crossed, hunched, slight scowl—radiated “I’d rather be anywhere else” energy. His working-class aesthetic amid Washington pomp made perfect visual commentary on his political brand.
Instantaneous Virality (January 20-22, 2021)
Within hours, the image was photoshopped into:
- Famous artworks (Nighthawks, The Last Supper, American Gothic)
- Movie scenes (Star Wars, Mean Girls, Titanic)
- Historical photos (Moon landing, Woodstock, Yalta Conference)
- Video game environments (Animal Crossing, Skyrim, Fall Guys)
Twitter users created @BerniesMittens, a bot inserting Bernie into Google Street View anywhere globally. Etsy shops sold crochet Bernie dolls (one raising $1.8M for charity). The meme peaked faster than almost any previous phenomenon—total internet saturation in 36 hours.
Cultural Moment
The meme arrived when Americans needed levity after the January 6 Capitol attack two weeks earlier. Bernie’s grumpy practicality felt refreshingly normal amid political chaos. The mittens themselves—handmade, gifted to Bernie in 2016, worn until worn out—embodied his anti-consumerism politics.
Within a week, Bernie capitalized on the meme with official merchandise, donating all proceeds to Vermont charities ($1.8M+). Jen Ellis, the mitten-maker, got so many orders she had to shut down her Etsy shop.
By February 2021, the meme faded as quickly as it appeared—a perfect moment of collective joy and then collective moving on.
Sources:
- NPR: “The Bernie Sanders Mittens Meme, Explained” (2021)
- Vox: “How Bernie Sanders’s mittens became the meme of Biden’s inauguration” (2021)
- Time: Bernie Sanders on the mittens meme merchandise (2021)