On Wednesday night, social media was abuzz as MAGA mouthpieces vented their frustrations during a live broadcast of CNN's town hall event titled “Shutdown America.” This significant event featured prominent figures, independent senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, who engaged with audience members regarding the ongoing government shutdown. The town hall was moderated by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ensuring a lively discussion.
Throughout the 90-minute event, the White House’s RapidResponse47 X account provided live updates, highlighting key moments and responses from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. One notable question came from student Nicole Plewicka, who inquired why Republican messaging on social media appeared more effective than that of the Democrats. In his response, Sanders acknowledged the Republicans' savvy use of social media, stating, “I think the Republicans are effective. They have learned a lot about social media.” However, he mistakenly attributed ownership of the platform X to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, confusing him with tech billionaire Elon Musk. This blunder did not go unnoticed, as many within the MAGA social media community criticized him, dubbing him “Biden 2.0.”
Despite missing Sanders' slip-up, the RapidResponse47 account tweeted, “Crazy Bernie thinks Republicans are more ‘effective’ at messaging on social media than Democrats because tech companies and the mainstream media are in the tank for us,” accompanied by a series of laughing emojis. The White House’s official X account also shared a clip of Sanders discussing Republican social media clout, captioned “Great question,” while humorously adding a sombrero to his image and overlaying Latin music.
Another participant, Rohan Naval, challenged Sanders on how the shutdown reflects on the leadership of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Sanders redirected the blame towards House Speaker Mike Johnson and former President Donald Trump. When Naval expressed disagreement with Sanders' rationale, the senator pressed, “How do you feel, you tell me? You think it’s a good idea to give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in the country and then make massive cuts to healthcare for working-class people?” In response, Naval pointed out Schumer's history of voting for continuing resolutions, prompting RapidResponse47 to declare, “Crazy Bernie just got wrecked on national television.”
During the town hall, when questioned about ICE raids, Sanders accused President Trump of using them to instill fear among the public. “If you’re a federal employee, don’t speak up,” he cautioned, highlighting a broader concern of authoritarianism. RapidResponse47 retaliated, asserting, “Crazy Bernie says ICE raids—in which some of the most dangerous criminals on earth have been taken off American streets—are ‘about a movement toward authoritarianism,’” labeling him as “Absolutely deranged.”
As the conversation shifted to the ongoing government shutdown, bartender Bobbie Harms asked Sanders about his plans to resolve the stalemate. Sanders reiterated his commitment to ending the shutdown, emphasizing the potential consequences if Trump were to win the fight. RapidResponse47 shared this sentiment, claiming, “Crazy Bernie responds by admitting it’s all about beating ‘Trump,’” and accused him of wanting “free healthcare for illegals.”
After Sanders addressed another question regarding the shutdown, White House communications director Steven Cheung joined the online discussion, stating, “The Shutdown Democrats can’t even get their message straight. When Wacky Bernie and AOC From the Block are the party’s messengers, you know they are screwed.” Cheung also poked fun at Ocasio-Cortez’s minor verbal slip, where she referred to “Air that is drinkable,” and highlighted Sanders' remarks concerning Larry Ellison potentially buying CNN.
This town hall event, characterized by sharp exchanges and social media commentary, underscores the ongoing tensions and strategies surrounding the government shutdown, as well as the contrasting approaches of different political factions in engaging the public through social media.
