Trump lawyers claim Biden's 'Dark Brandon' mug was 'thinly-veiled' effort to taunt client over prosecution

Former President Donald Trump's legal team filed a response on Monday afternoon to special counsel Jack Smith's request for a protective order that would limit what the former president can say about the criminal trial against him. They broadly oppose the order, attacking it as an attempt to limit Trump's political speech.

But one bizarre claim in particular made it into the filing: That President Joe Biden used a mug to taunt Trump about the charges against him.

"President Biden has ... capitalized on the indictment, posting a thinly veiled reference to his administration's prosecution of President Trump just hours before arraignment," said the filing.

The "Dark Brandon" meme has been around for months, long before any discussion of the former president's indictment or arraignment.

"Dark Brandon" has its roots in an obscene chant that Republicans came up with to attack Biden, dating to when NASCAR driver Brandon Brown was giving an interview after a December 2021 win in Talladega, and the announcers mistook a crowd chant of "F--k Joe Biden" for "Let's Go Brandon."

The "Let's Go Brandon" chant by Trump supporters ultimately was repurposed by Biden supporters, and evolved into "Dark Brandon" — referencing Trump-backed "Dark MAGA" means to suggest Biden has a "dark" persona that can plow through his opposition and is behind the president's domestic policy wins.

The Biden campaign has since fully embraced the meme, selling "Dark Brandon" merchandise featuring the president with glowing laser eyes.