The Week in Tweets and Memes

This is my weekly round-up of tweets and memes! I’m able to offer this bonus piece to everyone, and not just my paid subscribers, through the generous support of readers. If you’d like to send a thank you for my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber, if you’re not already, for about the cost of a coffee drink each month. Now, on to some of the funniest and most epic moments of the week!

Ex-president Trump’s campaign photo opp, I mean visit, to East Palestine, Ohio was in the news a lot this week. East Palestine of course is the site of a Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic spill and fiery plume disaster that the Trump administration’s deregulations helped contribute to, so his presence there was rather irksome to watch. But it had its share of hilarious moments. First, some context.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar

Trump says he brought "Trump water" for the residents of East Palestine, and also "much lesser quality water"

Turns out, that brand “Trump Ice” has been iced for a long time.

Liam Nissan™ @theliamnissan

Trump is passing out expired bottles of his water to the victims of the East Palestine disaster. MF might as well be handing out vintage cans of Crystal Pepsi at this point.

Folks had some thoughts.

😱 Scary Larry 😱 🇺🇦✊🏻🇺🇸🗽 @aintscarylarry

The FDA recommends not drinking bottled water that is more than two years old because the chemicals from the plastic eventually leak into the water. The old-ass bottled water trump dumped on the people of East Palestine, OH from his failed ‘trump Ice’ enterprise is 13 years old.

HappyGoLucky @vendetta80_77

Trump standing next to a pallet of water which expired in 2010 wearing a hat which expired in 2020.

I’m no Sly Stallone fan, but this moment from 2007 had to be resurfaced for this moment in 2023.

Jon Bershad @JonBershad

Please enjoy this 2007 video of Sylvester Stallone taste testing Trump Water and truly hating it. Easily the second most embarrassing Access Hollywood clip involving Donald Trump.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar

Trump says he brought "Trump water" for the residents of East Palestine, and also "much lesser quality water" https://t.co/DpLwcPfNQk

The right decided most of the problem in East Palestine ought to be blamed on Pete Buttigieg, our hard working Transportation Secretary, and not on the railroad executives who cut the labor force to threadbare levels, gave themselves windfalls in the form of billions in stock buybacks, then lobbied to deregulate automatic braking systems and the transportation of hazardous inflammable chemicals.

Members of the House Oversight Committee, including genius Reps. Jim Jordan and Lauren Boebert, even demanded Buttigieg appear to answer questions about the National Transportation Safety Board’s response. Mayor Pete, as he still likes to be called, responded in a very Mayor Pete way:

Secretary Pete Buttigieg @SecretaryPete

I am alarmed to learn that the Chair of the House Oversight Committee thinks that the NTSB is part of our Department. NTSB is independent (and with good reason). Still, of course, we will fully review this and respond appropriately.

The juxtaposition of both Trump and Buttigieg in the same town drew comparisons, with the right sneering that Buttigieg was only selected because’s he’s gay and therefore somehow unqualified to serve (hello, Ivanka and Jared were in the White House as senior advisors…) and the left saying that Trump, well, this was too easy.

BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ @mmpadellan

FUN FACTS: Secretary Pete Buttigieg was a Rhodes Scholar and served his country honorably in Afghanistan. trump was described by his professor as the "dumbest goddamn student," and he hid from Vietnam with fake bone spurs and hid from protesters in a bunker. THE END.

I mentioned Lauren Boebert but I didn’t say again how stupid she is. My bad. Here’s her latest idiocy.

Who wants to tell her? Speaking of stupid, this one from right wing MAGA troll and erstwhile actor Randy Quaid manages to do it in the first line.

Oh, and here’s more stupid:

Heartland Signal @HeartlandSignal

Minnesota House Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R), while arguing that Republicans aren't bigoted, uses a derogatory term for Polish people: "We are not calling groups any names ... It doesn't matter what your race, color, your creed. Norwegian, Polack, Somali, you name it."

Republican self-owns are commonplace, but c’mon, Ted Cruz. You can’t call other people spineless. The irony will destroy the Republic. Or maybe that’s your plan?

Ted Cruz @tedcruz

Want to stay out of World War III? Don't elect a spineless jellyfish like Joe Biden to be president. #Verdict podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ver…

Twitter had a few thoughts on this.

Brian O'Sullivan @osullivanauthor

Ted Cruz called Joe Biden spineless. That's comical. Joe Biden went to Ukraine during a war. Ted Cruz went to Mexico during a cold front.

Wu-Tang is for the Children @WUTangKids

Ted Cruz trending with spineless is perfect and no need to even click it

Jo 🌻 @JoJoFromJerz

@tedcruz Spineless you say? This you phone banking for the guy who called your wife ugly? 🧐

Yeah, sure the Republicans aren’t so good at this. But how have progressives done with their time at the mic? Here’s my hero of the week, Nebraska Democratic State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D-NE) standing up for trans kids against a move by the right in that state to demonize them. More of this please!

Heartland Signal @HeartlandSignal

NE State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D-Omaha) prepares to filibuster every bill on the legislative agenda unless Republicans pull their anti-trans bill. "If people are like, 'Is she threatening us?,' let me clear: Yes, I am. I am threatening you."

Across our northern border, which is terribly insecure I hear, Prime Minister Trudeau showed us how to deal with an anti-vax heckler trying to ruin a rally for Ukraine:

Ahmar Khan @AhmarSKhan

Here’s the Trudeau interaction with an anti-vax protestor at the Ukrainian vigil in Toronto. He really snapped back at the individual who was shouting at him for stealing freedoms.

Someone pointed out that our own national leader has been very good at sick burns for a long time. Here’s a much young Joe Biden on the subject of Rudy Giuliani running for president.

The Chanteezy Is Real ♉️ @iamchanteezy

Even though President’s Day is officially over, I want to share this video of President Biden ending Rudy Giuliani’s political career with this short clip. #PresidentsDay

Speaking of a thing of beauty, here’s a video of a pufferfish that you must watch if you haven’t seen it yet, if only to distract you with something amazing for a few minutes.

Wonder of Science @wonderofscience

The male pufferfish tries to impress potential mates with his masterpiece.

Here’s another video showing the lengths male humans will go to in order to impress a potential mate:

Wu-Tang is for the Children @WUTangKids

Ded 🤣💀

A close-up on the bus driver caps this off.

João @dSilvaJoao

@WUTangKids 🤣

If you are a fan of The Last of Us, or even if not, this may resonate.

Camilla Blackett @camillard

Trying to complete one task and not buy myself a little treat afterwards:

In random funny moments land, here’s the National Park Service weighing in with some dry truth.

National Park Service @NatlParkService

To avoid crowds, visit areas that are less crowded.

Someone needs to verify this next graphic. I checked Virginia’s state flag, and it does in fact have them. Well, one.

Terrible Maps @TerribleMaps

State flags with boobs on them

With so many guns in this country now, this had to be said. Again.

The Volatile Mermaid @OhNoSheTwitnt

Did I meme right?

This one of Don Jr. and a squirrel can’t be unseen.

Amee Vanderpool @girlsreallyrule

DYING. 😂

I leave you this week with a groaner to think about the whole week. Whose day is it?

Thanks again to the small percent of you who make this daily newsletter possible with paid subscriptions. Can I shamelessly guilt a few others into joining them? Ma, I need to channel your Asian tiger mother magic!

“OH THEY MUST BE VERY BUSY, ONE DAY WILL SUPPORT. MAYBE TRY WORK A LITTLE HARDER.”

Thanks, Ma!

Jay