Bernie Sanders Turns Inauguration Meme Into Sweatshirt To Raise Money For Charity

Bernie Sanders has turned his inauguration day meme into a sweatshirt to raise money for charity.

The senator became an online sensation after a picture of him sitting cross-legged wearing a Burton parka, hand-knitted mittens and a surgical blue mask, went viral.

People began placing the image of him in scenes from popular films, and one person even created a website that allowed people to place the image anywhere in the world.

Now, the politician is capitalising on the meme in the name of charity, by printing it on the front of a crewneck sweatshirt and selling it on his website for $45.

At the time of writing, the sweatshirt has just come back in stock, however the website warned that ‘due to overwhelming demand, it will be four to eight weeks’ before people receive their orders.

All of the money raised by the sweatshirts is set to go towards Meals on Wheels Vermont, which delivers hot meals to those with chronic conditions or disabilities under the age of 60 in Vermont.

Speaking on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Myers, Sanders defended his outfit choice, explaining, ‘I was just sitting there trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what was going on.’

The 79-year-old went on to shout out the Vermont teacher who gave him the sustainably-made mittens around two years ago.

‘What was really nice, Seth, is that the woman who made the mittens lives in Essex Junction, Vermont,’ he said.

‘She is a schoolteacher and a very, very nice person, and she has been somewhat overwhelmed by the kind of attention that is being shown to her mittens.’