Bernie Sanders Meme Pops Up All Over Sonoma County

Sonoma County is joining in on the fun by photoshopping the bundled up U.S. senator into all kinds of local scenes.


A bundled up Bernie Sanders has turned into a meme following the U.S. senator’s appearance at Wednesday’s presidential inauguration. Huddled in a chair and dressed in a thick gray coat from Vermont-based brand Burton and homemade patterned mittens, Sanders looked comfortably snug in the D.C. cold — and the internet loved the look. (The Burton jacket is now sold out – but the company posted on Twitter how to “steal the look”)

“I was just sitting there, trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what was going on,” explained the Vermont senator when asked about his reaction to the meme on Late Night.

The much-meme’d mittens, given to Sanders by Jen Ellis, a second-grade teacher in Vermont, have an interesting story. Ellis made the mittens from an old wool sweater and sent them to Sanders after he lost the bid for the Democratic nomination in 2016. She told The Washington Post that she felt honored the senator wore them at the inauguration. “There were people at the inauguration wearing clothing from world-famous designers. Then there was Bernie, wearing my mittens,” she said.

Sonoma County businesses are now joining in on the fun by photoshopping the practically-dressed Sanders into all kinds of scenes and posting these on social media. Click through the above gallery for a few favorites.

If you’d like to make your own version of the Bernie meme, this website edits the senator into any address. You can now also order a sweatshirt with the meme from Sanders’ website. 100% of the proceeds will go toward Meals on Wheels Vermont.