"Gave us a walking meme before leaving" - Memes erupt as Netizens react to video of Joe Biden in the Amazon rainforest 

President Joe Biden went on a historic trip to the Amazon rainforest ahead of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On Sunday, November 17, 2024, he asserted his clean energy legacy amid rumors that President-elect Donald Trump would roll back on the green initiatives and policies Biden established, saying:

"Some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that's underway in America, but nobody—nobody—can reverse it. Nobody."

After his statement, Biden turned around and walked towards the forest, garnering a slew of comments from netizens. One X user posted:

"Gave us a walking meme before leaving."

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@_savinha_)

Many joked about the development, saying this was him doing side quests before retiring. Others quipped it looked like he was in a TV show about drug cartels.

"He's really doing all the side quests now that he can retire," a netizen joked.

"ok but why does he look like he's in a netflix drama about a drug cartel," another remarked.

"My american followers, I regret to inform you that Joe Biden got lost in the Amazon forest and was devoured by an anaconda," a user added.

Some commented on Joe Biden's walk, one even likening it to movies from the 2000s.

"This is basically like every 2000's movie ending trope," one person stated.

"where is he walking off to lmao," another commented.

"Joe Biden becomes the first sitting US President to vanish without a trace into the Amazon Rainforest," a netizen quipped.

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Joe Biden is the first sitting president to visit the Amazon Rainforest

Joe Biden's visit to Manaus, Brazil, happened between two major summits - the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Peru (wrapped up on Saturday, November 14) and the G20 summit in Brazil (scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, November 18 and 19).

According to a report by NPR, the president took an aerial tour of the region, noting the drought that has affected the rainforest and the areas where trees have been illegally harvested. He also met with various indigenous leaders and Nobel laureate Dr. Carlos Nobre, who studied the effects of climate change in the Amazon.

Asserting that his clean energy initiatives would cut down carbon emissions in the US by half by 2030, Biden added:

"I will leave my successor and my country the strong foundation to build on, if they choose to do so," before stating, "The question now is, which government will stand in the way and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity?"

Joe Biden's first move as president was to rejoin the Paris Agreement, created in 2015 to curb greenhouse gas emissions. When Donald Trump was elected, he withdrew from the accord in 2017 (the only country of the 200 that signed).

Several times at his rallies during his bid for president, Trump promised to roll back his predecessor's climate initiatives. During his rally at Madison Square in NYC in October, he said:

"We're going to drill, baby, drill," and that he would "terminate the 'green new scam' and will cut your energy prices in half, 50%, within one year from Jan. 20."

Trump was referencing Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, one of the most significant investments in clean energy and climate change in the country's history.

On Sunday, November 17, Joe Biden pledged $50 million for Brazil's Amazon Fund and offered a $37.5 million loan to Mombak Gestora de Recursos to help replant trees (generally take investment from big tech companies, giving them carbon reduction emission credits in exchange).

For his part, Donald Trump nominated Chris Wright, a climate change skeptic, as his Energy Secretary.