MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

‘Let’s Go Brandon': Will Canada govt fire employees over viral meme? Here's the truth

Canadian government clears the air after viral claim that it would fire employees for using the meme, says 'does not reflect departmental policy'

Every meme has its day, and right now the 'Let's Go Brandon' meme is enjoying quite a run in the spotlight. It's not just taking over social media feeds, but also government communications or so it would seem. On October 18, 2021, the Canadian Government's Shared Services Center had to squash the viral claim that it would be firing employees for using the meme. It appears the memo is fake and that (for now at least) no one will be fired over the meme. 

The meme has appeared everywhere in recent days. It inspired a catchy single by rapper Loza Alexander. A young boy also yelled out the slogan to kick off the NAPA Super DIRT Week Pro Stock 50 event on October 10. The phrase has since gone on to become a major anti-establishment slogan in the US after originally being confused for an "f--k Joe Biden" chant. It then quickly went international.

READ MORE

Has Twitter banned Nicki Minaj? Singer's claims debunked by platform

Did Kabul evacuation flight to US refer to 9/11? C-17 tail number sparks conspiracy theories

On October 17, the meme supposedly made its way to Canada, with the Shared Services Centre announcing it would fire anyone who used it in their official communication. "Specifically, the use of the wording ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ and any variation thereof under any circumstance is banned by the Canadian Public Service," a viral memo read. Now, just a day later, the government has responded and clearly said that the memo is fake.

'Not department policy'

In a brief statement to The National Post, a spokesperson for the Shared Services Centre said, "We can confirm this message was not issued by Shared Services Canada and it does not reflect departmental policy." The statement appears to close the door once and for all on the claims, made viral by one particular October 17 tweet. Nonetheless, it appears as if that tweet is still gaining some traction, so it seems like the government's problems aren't entirely over.

Here's what happened. An anonymous Twitter account based in Richmond, Virginia tweeted on Oct 17: "How it is going in Canada. I don't tweet much. I don't have many followers PLEASE RT @JackPosobiec @bennyjohnson." That tweet also had a photo of what appeared to be a memo from the Shared Services Center. The memo said employees would face "immediate dismissal without recourse or labour union representation" for "the use of the wording ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ and any variation thereof." 

With such astounding claims, it didn't take long for that tweet to go viral. Since being put out, the tweet has garnered over 700 likes and 450 retweets. So naturally, the government had to intervene. If you've come across this memo, please be aware it is fake. The Canadian government isn't firing anyone for using the meme. As the Post pointed out, there are a few subtle hints that the memo is fake, but a quick scan of the account in question reveals why it shouldn't be trusted blindly. The user has posted several anti-vaccine tweets and retweeted other problematic ones like "BLM AND ANTIFA are Domestic Terrorist Organizations. Pass it on!"