Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) inadvertently spawned a new meme on Monday after stating that he would “rather die gloriously in battle than from a virus.”
The lawmaker, currently under self-quarantine after coming into contact with an individual at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) who tested positive for the coronavirus, says the thought arose while contemplating “life and mortality.”
“Been thinking about life and mortality today. I’d rather die gloriously in battle than from a virus,” Gosar tweeted. “In a way it doesn’t matter. But it kinda does.”
Gosar, who has reportedly not experienced any symptoms thus far, was immediately met with ridicule and confusion by other Twitter users.
“Woah lookout folks, we’ve got a badass over here,” @FrancisTheSailr said.
“If only there were some organization that gave people the opportunity to be trained in battle and be paid to do it,” @levinsor quipped.
Many pointed to the fact that such a scenario was unlikely given that Gosar spent most of his time outside of politics being a dentist.
“Dude. You’re a dentist,” @moreskeyplease noted.
But Twitter wasn’t done there. Users began recreating tweets of their own based on Gosar’s. While the politician’s tweet features an image from The Great Battle, a South Korean action film from 2018, users chose images that seemed more fitting.
As noted by @GenePark, no battle is sadder than one between two Magikarps, the notoriously weak and largely useless Pokémon character.
But some characters are nobler than others. No warrior is arguably better than World of Warcraft’s Leroy Jenkins.
Squirrels and other animals also seemed to be a common theme in regards to epic battles.
Perhaps no battle is more epic or more relatable, however, than that with the common pickle jar.
Despite the popularity, Gosar hasn’t responded or weighed in on the attention surrounding his tweet.
Since sharing the statement, the politician has only retweeted another account sharing tips on how to help stop the virus’ spread.
There are currently 607 confirmed cases and 16 deaths attributed to the coronavirus in the U.S.
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