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What is the origin of ‘Bye Felicia’? Tulsi Gabbard's exit from Dems sparks Internet war over use of hashtag

Tulsi Gabbard’s recent quitting of the Democratic party inadvertently sparked an Internet war over the popular hashtag 'Bye Felicia'

If you've stepped into the Twitterverse recently, then you probably have seen a tweet or two with the hashtag "#ByeFelicia." Tulsi Gabbard’s recent quitting of the Democratic party on Tuesday, October 11, inadvertently sparked an Internet war over the popular hashtag. But what does "Bye Felicia" really mean and what is the origin of the word? If you have absolutely no idea about this new trend, then let us break it down for you.

The phrase "Bye Felicia" originates with Friday, a film starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker which was a significant success, making a $24 million profit. And its place in the pantheon of cult classics was assured by the iconic scene in which Felicia approaches Ice Cube and Tucker’s characters, first to ask to borrow a car, then a joint. After Tucker’s character, Smokey, refuses her repeated requests, she turns to Craig Jones, played by Ice Cube. “Bye Felicia,” he tells her, dismissing her with two words while simultaneously sparking an earthquake in pop culture. In essence, the phrase is a way of dismissing someone, either to strongly encourage them to get out of your face or as you’re walking away.

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Recently, Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman announced her decision to leave the Democratic party, branding it an "elitist cabal of warmongers" which sparked the internet over this hashtag. One person wrote, “I'm dying laughing over here. When was Tulsi Gabbard ever *in* the Democratic Party? Tulsi's only ever been in the Putin Party. Bye Felicia!” “Saw Bye Felicia trending...went to see why...Oh, Tulsi Gabbard is cutting herself off from the  Democratic party that she was never part of in the first place. All righty then,” another added. “Tulsi Gabbard says she’s not a Democrat anymore. My response- we knew. Bye, Felicia! Also, no one cares!! Again, Bye, Felicia!!” yet another user remarked.

Earlier, in a roughly 30-minute video that she released on social media, Gabbard made the announcement while criticizing the institution for its practices. The former lawmaker said she could no longer be a member of the party she was a part of for 20 years because of its anti-white prejudice. She said, “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic party that is under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers who are driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoking anti-white racism.”

Gabbard continued by urging her fellow Democrats to follow her and quit the party. But as of right now, she hasn't made any announcements about her new political affiliations or joining the Republican Party. Tulsi Gabbard was raised in Hawaii and, at the age of 21, ran for state representative. She criticized the Democratic Party for destroying Americans' fundamental freedoms and claimed that while she supports a government that is of, by, and for the people, the Democratic Party of today does not adhere to these principles. 

"I believe in a government that is of, by, and for the people. Unfortunately, today's Democratic Party does not. Instead, it stands for a government of, by, and for the powerful elite. I'm calling on my fellow common sense independent-minded Democrats to join me in leaving the Democratic Party," she said in her video. Gabbard made the claims about the Democratic party during the debut of her new YouTube show The Tulsi Gabbard Show, the first episode of which was uploaded on Tuesday, October 11. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.