Last night’s debate was supposed to touch on serious and sensitive issues: the Supreme Court, immigration, relations with Russiaand the economy. It did, briefly, but it also spawned a slew of online jokes, from Trump’s “bad hombres” to crying Putin. Bad Hombres.Trump reintroduced his infamous wall (which, according to his campaign strategist in August, the candidate was wavering on) in Wednesday’s debate, and explained how strong borders will curb drug trade. “We have some bad hombres here, and we’re going to get them out,”Trump said, botching the pronunciation for the Spanish word for “man.”
And just like that, a meme was born:
What exactly is a #BadHombre pic.twitter.com/w1uoFr1WAz
— Malia Probst (@TheMalia) October 20, 2016
#badhombre for those times…… pic.twitter.com/MfdnQvi7Sy
— Lisa Deupree (@bbfarmer2) October 20, 2016
Are these the #BadHombres @realDonaldTrump was talking about, because I will build his wall personally and pay for it pic.twitter.com/2rZnhbhVnb
— Clever Pseudonym (@tbRoudet) October 20, 2016
#badhombres #debatenight pic.twitter.com/LEav0MLC4U
— Alexis Sachdev (@lexsachdev) October 20, 2016
Bad Ombres. It didn’t take very long for Twitter users to capitalize on Trump’s pronunciation either, which sounded more like a hair-dye job and less like the second-most spoken language in the world. (To wit: English isn’t first.) For those who are out of the loop, “ombre” refers to when the roots are a darker color, and the hair is gradually lightened as it reaches the tip. There are great ombres, and, like Trump said, there are bad ones.
If there are all these bad ombres sneaking across the border, can we set up some hair salons? #debatenight #badombre pic.twitter.com/E8D4W9ldk2
— Jacob Knapp (@PieKnapple) October 20, 2016
TRUMP: We have some bad ombre’s pic.twitter.com/9Cj4PcWY0w
— JoshuaJamesNoel (@SimplyJosh) October 20, 2016
bad hombre and bad ombré is my halloween couples costume idea don’t steal it
— Johanna Barr (@JohannaBarr) October 20, 2016
Nasty woman. Later, Clinton reprised an attack on Trump for his admitted practice of avoiding taxes. Amid a back and forth between the two, during which Trump blamed Clinton for not changing the tax code, he also reprised a line of attack: “Such a nasty woman,” he interjected. Again, Twitter lit up, invoking images of Beyonce, Janet Jackson and other female icons:
Well behaved women rarely make history #nastywoman pic.twitter.com/fEoKIfbjyO
— Ruth Lapointe (@Ruth1Lapointe) October 20, 2016
If you’re #nasty #debatenight @HillaryClinton via @JanetJackson pic.twitter.com/ZjFJoMfjLR
— Jessica Nydia Pabón (@justjess_PhD) October 20, 2016
There was also crossover:
As a Mexican-American boy who transitioned into a trans woman I’ve been both a #BadHombre and a #NastyWoman
— ?Mey of the Woman? (@meyrude) October 20, 2016
Here’s hopin’ me and all my #nastywomen and #badhombres vote for Hillary on Election Day. #debatenight pic.twitter.com/Zq8Ekjnb7F
— Emily Cotter (@ECoWV) October 20, 2016
“You’re the puppet.” Both candidates managed to claim the other was Vladimir Putin’s puppet.
“No puppet, no puppet, you’re the puppet,” Trump interjected when Clinton alleged Russia had influenced the U.S. election in favor of her opponent.
He already “sang” a famous Muppets jingle in the last debate, but it seems Trump just can’t get enough of Jim Henson’s furry friends.
What’s wrong with being a puppet? #debatenight #debate pic.twitter.com/UtQMYniK8V
— old man banks (@newsbanks) October 20, 2016
Live look at the Muppet reaction to the “You’re a puppet” argument #debatenight pic.twitter.com/3eR7NpGPjl
— Kirk Bado (@kirk_bado) October 20, 2016
“You’re the puppet,” – says the queen muppet himself pic.twitter.com/s6lagyu4mh
— Winter Page (@winter_page) October 20, 2016
“I don’t know Putin.” Trump distanced himself from the Russian president, proclaiming that he doesn’t know Putin, denying he’s ever even met the guy. “This is not my best friend,” he continued. For one, Trump has met Putin, he said in an interview with MSNBC in 2013 and at a conference in 2014, alluding to his relationship with the leader. Looks like that bromance is dead and gone, and Putin has to nurse a broken heart.
Trump: i don’t know Putin
Putin: pic.twitter.com/fEws75Jm2e— Common Gay Boy (@CGBPosts) October 20, 2016
Trump: I’m not best friends with Putin!
Putin: *runs into room crying and scribbles out “Trump and Putin-best friends 4ever” in his diary*— Alex McGuigan (@squigglybear) October 20, 2016
“i don’t know putin. this is not my best friend.” pic.twitter.com/tKm9XrafTP
— David Mack (@davidmackau) October 20, 2016
TRUMP: “I don’t know Putin. I have never met Putin. He is not my best friend.”
PUTIN:#debatenight pic.twitter.com/ZSUaw5L9Xu— Ellie:) (@elliekopp) October 20, 2016
