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Photo via Gage Skidmore / Flickr Remix by Jason Reed

Sorry, but there’s no evidence that Mike Pence eats deodorant to freshen his breath

He also probably doesn't love the taste.

 

Jay Hathaway

Internet Culture

Posted on Nov 14, 2016   Updated on May 25, 2021, 2:29 pm CDT

There are many reasons to be concerned about Mike Pence, the vice president-elect of the United States and leader of Donald Trump‘s transition team. He’s against curing HIV, wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and believes in shocking gay people until they turn straight

Does Mike Pence eat women’s deodorant as food, though? As you will read all over Twitter, there’s no reason to believe he does.


The great thing about this meme is that it leans on a tactic Trump used throughout his campaign, prefacing some rumor or falsehood with “people are saying” to sidestep the blame for spreading it himself. These tweets ask you to vividly imagine our homophobic future vice president with his lips around a stick of soft, flaky stick of deodorant, running his tongue over the white, pine-scented mound, but they are all couched in plausible deniability. 

It’s satisfying for the defeated side to give the guy who will run America on Trump’s behalf a taste of his campaign’s own medicine. Mmmm, tastes like Lady Speed Stick!

Are there more productive ways to combat Pence’s homophobic positions and keep them from becoming homophobic policies? Donating and protesting, perhaps? Certainly, but it’s also important for Pence’s opponents to tell the truth about him. The truth is that he tried to make it legal in his state for businesses to turn away gay customers, and that he probably doesn’t savor every bite of deodorant like it’s his favorite dessert. 


https://twitter.com/YesThisIsMike/status/797656433269448704

Sorry, but you just can’t prove it!

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*First Published: Nov 14, 2016, 3:00 pm CST