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Twitter’s coping with the Boris Johnson news by posting Donald Trump memes
Former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson will be the next UK prime minister, beating rival Jeremy Hunt by a clear margin in the race to lead the Conservative Party. Although not in office yet (he assumes that position on Wednesday), Twitter isn’t handling the news well.
“Thank you all for the incredible honour you have done me,” he said in a victory tweet on Tuesday afternoon. “The time for campaigning is over and the time for work begins to unite our country and party, deliver Brexit and defeat [opposition leader Jeremy] Corbyn. I will work flat out to repay your confidence.”
“Boris Johnson” is trending worldwide and in South Africa, as users both in the UK and beyond come to grips with the news.
Thank you all for the incredible honour you have done me. The time for campaigning is over and the time for work begins to unite our country and party, deliver Brexit and defeat Corbyn. I will work flat out to repay your confidence
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 23, 2019
Johnson’s US counterpart, Donald Trump, lead the congratulations. “He will be great,” Trump added.
Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2019
Leader of the Brexit Party Nigel Farage wished Johnson well, but questioned if he has the “courage to deliver” Brexit.
Jeremy Hunt believed that Johnson will be a “great PM for [the UK] at this critical moment”.
I wish @BorisJohnson well as Prime Minister with his do or die pledge to deliver Brexit on October 31st. Does he have the courage to deliver?
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 23, 2019
Congratulations @BorisJohnson 4 a campaign well https://t.co/b1rmrIHic6'll be a great PM for our country at this critical moment!Throughout campaign you showed optimism,energy & unbounded confidence in our wonderful country & we need that.All best wishes from the entrepreneur 🙂
— Sir Jeremy Hunt MP (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 23, 2019
Some lamented the fact that the UK prime minister is elected by part members and not the general public.
https://twitter.com/sanditoksvig/status/1153656504538619904
Around 100,000 Tory party members have inflicted on us a prime minister with a record of bigotry, racism, lying and incompetence #BorisJohnson
This is not democracy
This is #NotInOurName
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) July 23, 2019
Others, well, were present for the memes, and the obvious comparison between the trans-Atlantic leaders.
“Boris Johnson and Donald Trump planning on ways to destroy the world,” read one tweet.
https://twitter.com/luenic/status/1153647470926356480
Behold the new axis of weevil.#DonaldTrump #BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/kRrnzFGmZ1
— The Calm Observer (@Calm_Observer) July 23, 2019
https://twitter.com/WonderWilliee/status/1153658476029259776
https://twitter.com/its_amir1/status/1153658525652070401
BREAKING NEWS: Donald trump and Boris Johnson officially meat for the first time ! pic.twitter.com/hPA8d9RmLy
— Sam (@MainooSZN) July 23, 2019
https://twitter.com/ibrahimaminn/status/1153654896379465728
While the country copes through humour, there’s a lot of work for Johnson to do when he’s inaugurated tomorrow.
There’s still no solution to the now three-year-old Brexit saga. And a no-deal Brexit could mean a collapse of legislation and trade deals between the UK and the European Union. Well, that, and a lot more.
But spare a thought in particular to the real prime minister of the UK, 10 Downing Street resident Larry The Cat.
Today, we’re all that child#NextPrimeMinister pic.twitter.com/2nyIm5mfaC
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 23, 2019
Feature image: Boris Johnson in 2009 in New York City, by Think London via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
