Hillary Clinton Accuses Donald Trump of 'Nonsense' In Singing Meme Debate

The political rivalry between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton has been revisited, with a delightful internet meme transforming their debate into a duet.

The joke spread so far across the internet, that even Clinton herself got involved, whilsealso managing to slide in a subtle dig at her former foe.

Trump and Clinton ran against each other in a memorable and often tumultuous presidential campaign back in 2016, with their debates providing plenty of infamous moments. Now, a simple screengrab from those debates has gone viral as it's been reinvented into a light-hearted moment.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton debates 2016
Hillary Clinton was in on the joke on Twitter as people asked "What are they singing?" in relation to a picture of Donald Trump and Hillary during the 2016 debates. Anna Moneymaker / Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Twitter user @lurichpete, with the screen name Luke, is credited with posting the picture that has since become a meme.

Luke shared a picture of Trump and Clinton, speaking into their microphones while looking at each other. He asked the simple question, "What are they singing?" Tens of thousands of people have since replied with their own take.

Clinton and Trump have often spoken out about their disdain for each other, which perhaps adds another layer to the joke explaining why social media users responded in their numbers.

Various famous male/female duets were suggested as potential answers to the question of what song they're singing. "Baby It's Cold Outside," Islands in the Stream," "Endless Love," "Summer Lovin" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" were all popular suggestions.

Clinton retweeted the image and offered up her own suggestion. "I'm going for "Islands in the Stream." He's yelling nonsense syllables," she wrote on Wednesday.

The idea of the two collaborating in song isn't a new one, and the comment section to the picture also contained people dredging up old videos that had been edited to show them singing.

In October 2016, not long after the debate took place, Lucky TV produced an edited video that made it look like the pair were lip-syncing to "Time of My Life." That video got 4.5 million views alone on YouTube, but they also produced follow-ups of the two singing "Separate Lives" and "Up Where We Belong."

Replying on Twitter to the latest meme, Washington Post journalist Dave Jorgenson brought up an old Vine video he'd made from 2016. ""Many {many) years ago I made a Vine answering this question," he wrote, including the six-second clip of Trump and Clinton miming "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

Other songs suggested to Luke's initial question included more but less popular duets. "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better," suggested composer Oliver Davis and reporter Jim Brunner, drawing on the debate theme.

"The Boy is Mine," "Suddenly Seymour" and "I Got You Babe" were all also submitted as suggestions onto Twitter.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go