Conservative radio host and pundit Erick Erickson is getting roasted on social media after he tried his hand at right-wing media’s latest outrage by offering a hot take on the change in the Senate dress code.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweaked the informal code to allow lawmakers to wear whatever they choose when entering the chamber, which many took as a nod to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and his wardrobe of hoodies.
That’s led to breathless coverage by conservative outlets, such as Fox News, and endless tweets by far-right figures, including conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
On Tuesday, Erickson joined the chorus.
“Dems who were outraged by January 6 rioters storming the Capitol because of the violence wrought against that great Temple of Democracy are okay with a man at war with the English language and pants getting to wear a hoodie and shorts onto the Senate floor,” Erickson wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Just no bison helmets.”
Critics couldn’t help but point out the false equivalence ― and some struggled to believe the tweet was even real:
I thought this was parody.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 20, 2023
On the one hand, 9/11 was horrible, but on the other hand, a Starbucks employee once wrote "Erig" on my cup, so...samesies. https://t.co/n1AniQRcpW
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) September 20, 2023
Is this satire?
— Marc Goldwein (@MarcGoldwein) September 20, 2023
This is a really bad tweet. https://t.co/H4Us4k0MLL
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) September 20, 2023
One side wants to wear shorts, the other wants to overthrow the government. Who's to say which is worse? https://t.co/IKdUEF20TM
— Steve Lafleur (@Steve_Lafleur) September 20, 2023
Yes, yes, these are the same. The reason we are mad at the January 6 rioters, who we definitely elected into office, is because of how they are dressed. https://t.co/GESWgYhDqf
— Geraldine @everywhereist@mastodon.social (@everywhereist) September 20, 2023
This can’t be real. You’ve been hacked
— 𝙹𝚊𝚢𝚗𝚒𝚎’𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝙱𝚞𝚗 (@FreeGirlNowNYC) September 20, 2023
Hahaha libs you say you don’t like people smashing the Capitol, shitting in the corridors, and trying to do a coup, and yet you…wear sweatshirts.
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) September 20, 2023
Touché I say! Touché!!! https://t.co/P1WgcHPM4h
Beyond dumb. https://t.co/Y9SWyI1YJJ
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 20, 2023
Because Fetterman's clothes can overthrow the government. 🙄
— Yasmine Mary, ARNP-FNP-C (@yazzy1967) September 20, 2023
These folks stopped trying to communicate with anyone outside of the MAGA Cinematic Universe ages ago. Its long past time for us to stop treating this like actual civic discourse. https://t.co/fMBQ0Moziy
— Melissa Ryan (@MelissaRyan) September 20, 2023
Yes, insurrection is exact same thing as poor fashion sense.
— Ethan Sacks (@ethanjsacks) September 20, 2023
Yeah. Because that's the same: a single man wearing a hoodie = an massive armed insurrection against the government.
— Michael Marshall Smith (@ememess) September 20, 2023
Do you guys even listen to what you're saying? Or do the words just come out, like a splattering verbal stomach flu? https://t.co/BMYTrWzRpz
trying to kill elected officials and invalidate an election is just like wearing a hoodie to your government job. I’m running out of ideas and no one is helping https://t.co/p4uVDXCDoA
— Brendan Karet (@bad_takes) September 20, 2023
Yet again, it simply cannot be overstated how much Fetterman’s victory broke the brains of some on the right.
— Max Steele (@maxasteele) September 20, 2023
Gym shorts = trying to beat capitol police officers to death in an attempt to overturn the United States Constitution https://t.co/R9tgo2cLAO
Worst . Take . Ever
— Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) September 20, 2023
One guy tried to overthrow democracy with a violent mob and one guy wore a sweatshirt. Which is worse for this country? https://t.co/dbHMhIXffm
— Seth Kafila (@seth_kafila) September 20, 2023
"Every inch of exposed hairy leg is a dagger to the heart of the founding fathers!"
— Darren Kaplan (@DarrenKaplan) September 20, 2023
I think I would rather see the senate stick to business attire but there’s a pretty big difference between changing the dress code and trying to storm the building in hopes of coercing congress into overthrowing the results of a the president election. https://t.co/n1R2nimx1w
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) September 20, 2023
— LondonGal ☔️ 🍸 👸 (@londongal_28) September 20, 2023
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