Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi became the unexpected viral star of the State of the Union address last night after a photo of her clapping for President Donald Trump spread around social media like wildfire.
The shot shows Madam Speaker in a seemingly sarcastic stance, applauding the POTUS with outstretched arms while he stands at the podium for his speech. (Vice President Mike Pence, on the other hand, looks on proudly at the commander in chief.) However, if you watch a video of Pelosi's applause, she appears to clap genuinely for the president as she and Pence give him a standing ovation; she even smiles for him when he turns around and looks at her. The viral photo just showed one moment in the sequence.
But that didn't stop the Internet from turning Pelosi's so-called "clap back" into a meme.
Some people compared the scene to earning praise for doing the bare minimum:
There were some clever pop culture comparisons:
And some simply praised Pelosi's apparent shade:
There was even this elaborate Billy Joel reference:
This isn't the Speaker of the House's first time becoming a viral star. In December, after meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office with Senator Chuck Schumer, a photo of Pelosi exiting in a burnt orange coat and putting on her sunglasses with a smug smile (as if to say "Mission accomplished") lit up social media.
Pelosi also made a statement during last night's State of the Union with her all-white outfit, along with other Democratic Congresswomen, who also sported the color scheme. The sartorial choice was a hat tip to the suffragette movement, signaling that members of the Congress will continue to fight to advance women's rights.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
