Politics
Indy100 Staff
Feb 07, 2023
Twitter/Kadia Goba
Marjorie Taylor Greene took a balloon to the Capitol for Joe Biden's State of the Union address - and became an instant meme.
The right-wing provocateur and congresswoman brought along the prop to mock the delayed effort to take down a Chinese 'spy' balloon that travelled across the US for days before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
But almost immediately, it was updated in Photoshop to look like a scene from Stephen King's killer-clown novel IT.
Her goofball stunt was first highlighted by Semafor reporter Kadia Goba:
\u201cRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to bring a white balloon to tonight\u2019s SOTU\u201d— Kadia Goba (@Kadia Goba) 1675802341
Taylor Greene also shared a video of her walking through the Capitol holding the item, clearly looking pleased with her ingenuity.
\u201cIt\u2019s just an innocent balloon\u2026 #SOTU\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1675803082
But the wags at the anti-MAGA Lincoln Project immediately updated it:
\u201cFixed it.\u201d— The Lincoln Project (@The Lincoln Project) 1675804593
'It' is the titular antogonist in King's 1986 horror novel, and is an ancient, trans-dimensional evil entity which preys upon the children every 27 years.
It has a range of spooky powers including an ability to shapeshift, manipulate reality, and pass unnoticed by adults.
In the story, It typically appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
The red balloon is a symbol of Pennywise, who uses them to lure in victims. Whenever the red balloon appears, it signals that Pennywise is close, if not already present.
The United States military shot down the so-called 'Chinese spy balloon' along the coast of North and South Carolina at the weekend - sparking a meme frenzy.
Security concerns had been raised over the balloon after it was spotted over the skies of Montana earlier this week. US officials reportedly told the Associated Press that president Joe Biden had given the order to have it taken down in the safest way possible without harming any members of the public.
As with almost everything else - The Simpsons predicted the whole thing.
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