"Let's go Brandon": Video of Maui residents screaming profanities at Joe Biden during visit goes viral online

Joe Biden's Maui visit on August 21 started off on the wrong foot, as the president's visit to the island reeling from the destructive trail of a ravaging wildfire turned sour when local residents greeted him with jeers and insults. Videos of Maui residents flipping off the president and hurling insults as his car passed through went viral on X.

It was not just the residents of the island that were mad at Biden; netizens did not hold back either. The "Let's Go Brandon" chant, a code for "F**k Joe Biden," returned in full fury as X users vehemently laid out criticisms of the president.

The "Let's Go Brandon" meme was used to criticize Joe Biden (Image via Twitter)

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Joe Biden mocked in Maui

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Lahaina, Maui, on Monday, August 21, to assess the damage caused by the devastating fires and meet with emergency workers and the wildfire victims. However, reports and video evidence showed that the president was not exactly welcomed with flowers.

The president and his wife spent around six hours surveying the island, where, according to a Newsweek report, they were greeted with signs that read, "F**k Biden", "Trump Won", and "It's too late," along with "Lahaina Strong" and "Lahaina needs relief NOW."

The president had recently come under heavy criticism for his lack of attention to the tragedy and delayed response. The amount of $700 being offered to affected households had also brought immense backlash against the president.

Videos posted on social media showed the president's motorcade being met with jeers and insults. A video posted on X by a user named Matt Wallace on August 22 showcased people mockingly jeering, "Wow he's finally here," and "Thanks for nothing," before yelling, "F**k You!" and holding out their middle fingers. The video has amassed over 4.6 million views at the time of writing.

In the title of his tweet, Matt Wallace criticized the president for visiting the island 13 days after the devastating incident. Netizens were furious with the president and supported the local residents depicted in the video. People put him in contention for being the worst president of all time.

Astute criticisms of Joe Biden were made in the comments section, and the president, no stranger to being memed, was once again trolled to oblivion. A joke Biden made about the "hot ground" for rescue workers was also not well received by the internet.

The "Let's Go Brandon" meme returned and was in popular use. The extensive amount given to Ukraine was also compared to the relatively smaller amount given to the victims of the Maui fire and to rebuild the fire-ravaged island.

Joe Biden addressed the island and spoke from downtown Lahaina, near a banyan tree that had become a symbol of resilience as it was still standing despite being burned. He acknowledged the resilience of the community members and promised them health "for as long as it takes."

He compared the loss people on the island are feeling to the loss he felt at the deaths of his first wife Neilia and 13-year-old daughter Naomi in 1972.

In an earlier address to a room full of wildfire survivors, Joe Biden received immense flak for drawing comparisons between the massive Maui wildfire that destroyed lives and a fire that broke out in his house back in Delaware. He praised the firefighters who saved his family and revealed that the fire started because of lightning that hit a wire underneath their house. He stated:

"To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette, and my cat."

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The Maui wildfires were the deadliest ones the island had seen in over a century. The confirmed death toll from the fires stands at 114, with over 850 people still yet to be found. Out of the 114 confirmed to have passed on, only 27 were able to be identified.