Bernie Sanders reacts to memes: ‘I was just sitting there trying to keep warm’

Jan. 22 (UPI) — Sen. Bernie Sanders reacted to becoming a viral meme on social media from his appearance at the inauguration, telling host Seth Meyers on Late Night that he was just trying to keep warm.

“I was just sitting there trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what was going on,” Sanders said on Thursday, after stating that he wasn’t aware that he had become a viral meme during the event.

Memes of Sanders sitting at the inauguration wearing mittens spread quickly on social media, placing the sitting Vermont senator into signature moments from films and television shows.

People also were interested in the envelope he was carrying.

“I’d love to tell you Seth, it’s top secret,” Sanders said about the envelope.

The brown and white mittens were given to Sanders by Jen Ellis, a schoolteacher from Vermont.

“She has been somewhat overwhelmed by the kind of attention that is being shown to her mittens,” Sanders said.

Ellis, while speaking with The Washington Post, said that she sent Sanders the mittens after he lost the Democratic nomination in 2016. Ellis is now receiving tons of requests for her mittens.

“I’m really honored he wore them today. The fact that he’s still wearing them is delightful and flattering,” she said.

“There were people at the inauguration wearing clothing from world-famous designers. Then there was Bernie, wearing my mittens,” Ellis continued.

Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Smith and First We Feast, the studio behind Hot Ones, posted versions of the Sanders meme.

Reynolds placed Sanders next to his Marvel character Deadpool on Instagram.

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A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

Kevin Smith uploaded to Twitter a photo of Sanders sitting next to Jay and Silent Bob from Smith’s film Clerks.

“Bernie, bro. (Thank you to whoever thought of including me and @JayMewes, as this is the closet we’ve ever gotten to being at an inauguration. And thank you to all the people who texted and Tweeted the pic to me,” Smith said.

Bernie, bro. (Thank you to whoever thought of including me and @JayMewes, as this is the closest we’ve ever gotten to being at an Inauguration. And thank you to all the people who texted and Tweeted the pic to me.) pic.twitter.com/RXCwlX2OFA— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) January 21, 2021

“Bernie in the hot seat,” First We Feast said on Twitter, alongside an image of Sanders on Hot Ones.

Bernie in the hot seat (via @OGCameraguyBill) pic.twitter.com/ZrrLvlnCre— First We Feast (@firstwefeast) January 20, 2021