The Republican National Committee tried to honor its favorite presidents on Presidents Day.
It didn’t go well.
The official GOP account tweeted a meme mocking President Joe Biden while celebrating Richard M. Nixon and Donald Trump, among others:
Happy Presidents’ Day! pic.twitter.com/8lanpKXO10
— GOP (@GOP) February 21, 2022
It’s unclear why the RNC chose those specific presidents. It’s not simply a reverse-order list of the most recent Republicans in the Oval Office, as it skips Gerald Ford and Herbert Hoover. It’s also not a list of the most popular GOP presidents, as it omits Theodore Roosevelt, who consistently ranks near the top of polls and surveys.
Twitter users were quick to point out the flaws in the RNC’s meme effort:
Imagine drawing up a list of Republican presidents to admire that doesn't have Grant or TR but *does* have Coolidge, Nixon, and Trump. https://t.co/654r7Po2GQ
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) February 21, 2022
Every day, the @GOP does or says something to make me feel really good about my decision two years ago to leave the Republican Party. Every single day. https://t.co/d0J5Rc2XLe
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) February 21, 2022
Interesting that Coolidge and Nixon are the GOP hall of fame and, say, TR and Ford aren’t https://t.co/Pua9wXUnwu
— Matthew Zeitlin (@MattZeitlin) February 21, 2022
I was once an RNC spokesperson. There was no way in hell we would EVER have put something out this disgusting, anti-American, and stupid. @GOPChairwoman is absolute MAGA garbage. Utter filth. A cockroach in lipstick. https://t.co/XwW1wEY3Ii
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) February 21, 2022
Never good when you have to pick 8 of your party’s best presidents and two are impeached, two are one term, and one would have been a Democrat today. https://t.co/CJy8k8Inak
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) February 21, 2022
This is mostly juvenile and vulgar. But we are on the verge of war in Europe. It would be good if elected Republicans, GOP candidates, those who've served in Republican administrations--made it clear @GOP does not speak for what remains of a decent and patriotic Republican Party. https://t.co/78YSTmEYdS
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) February 21, 2022
Nixon resigned in disgrace after his men spied on his election opponents and he abused the power of the White House, paid hush money to cover it up. Tens of thousands needlessly died as he prolonged Vietnam for political reasons
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) February 21, 2022
He's only the 3rd-worst GOP president on this list https://t.co/SRiunOef06
This is the tweet of a third grader https://t.co/pukUsCGrPL
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) February 21, 2022
We went from "WORSE THAN WATERGATE" to "Watergate is fine" in one week https://t.co/7e2wiCpwmE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2022
Maybe should have put in Ford instead of the guy who resigned from office in disgrace. https://t.co/rns79vgXpJ
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) February 21, 2022
Two wouldn't be Republicans today.
— Jonathan Gaffney 🇺🇸 (@JGaffneyUSN) February 21, 2022
Three couldn't win a county in Iowa today.
One was a complete-and-total failure.
One was a criminal.
And the last one is going to prison.
But, other than that, great post. https://t.co/NtktkiBF6Y
Lincoln - good
— John Houck 😷+💉💉💉 (@Houckadoodledoo) February 21, 2022
Coolidge - umm
Eisenhower - okay
Nixon - WTF???
Reagan - whatever
Bush - flop
Dubya - worst president until...
Trump - GAH!!!
Interesting not to include Ulysses S. Grant. Worried about enraging the base since he kicked the Confederacy's ass? https://t.co/1VBsnKKgm2
— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) February 21, 2022
Choosing to include Calvin Coolidge is kind of hilarious https://t.co/wNbiA7q7Fg
— Thor Benson (@thor_benson) February 21, 2022
The epitome of tacky, low-class, crude behavior from an organization that should be setting an example of American goodness. https://t.co/ZVpsxYxMlu
— Vicki Ringer (@vickiringer) February 22, 2022
Awful lotta one-termers, criminals, impeachments and congressional investigations in there, bros.
— Like Kurosawa, I Make Mad (@the_moviebob) February 21, 2022
Kinda sucks when one of your "better guys" is the one-term loser who three of the others despised (and most of your voters today think was a lizard "because CIA") https://t.co/i6GRAsaBfz
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