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Home • News

Cory Booker Explains The Side-Eye Given To Beto O'Rourke During Debate

Sen. Cory Booker provided the Twitterverse with top meme-worthy material during Wednesday night's Democratic debate.
Cory Booker Explains The Side-Eye Given To Beto O'Rourke During Debate
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
By Breanna Edwards · Updated October 23, 2020

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) gave social media fresh meme material on Wednesday night during the first Democratic primary debate.

Booker could be seen, like an emoji come to life, side-eyeing former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke when he broke into Spanish during his first answer of the night.

When Dad says "Hola, como estas?" to the waiter at the Mexican restaurant #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/64FY2LV6kp

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 27, 2019

Of course, it provided the Twitter-verse with copious amounts of material.

We are all Cory Booker after Beto O’Rourke finishes his opening remarks in Spanish #DemocraticDebate pic.twitter.com/Hm917l4yWq

— Emily Bicks (@MissBicks) June 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/rydickinson/status/1144050506110775302

#DemDebate
New meme alert😈😂
Lmao Cory Booker's face while Beto O'Rourke speaks in Spanish pic.twitter.com/ldvbfefP4r

— Mohamed (@m0e96) June 27, 2019

Cory Booker looking at Beto O’Rourke while he speaks Spanish like “This fuckin’ guy.” pic.twitter.com/JfReY5xuNu

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) June 27, 2019

When Beto breaks out his spanish and cory Booker is like #DemocraticDebate pic.twitter.com/qZ7nFje9Ga

— Messica (@Jesska1018) June 27, 2019

Cory Booker seeing Beto speak Spanish #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/cjLoBlCUZt

— lauren! (@laurenjmccarty) June 27, 2019

But what was the senator actually thinking in that moment? According to Booker himself, he knew that was just a sign that he had to “bring it” as well, which he did, showing off his Spanish skills in one of his own answers as well.

“I just knew he had laid a gauntlet down and I was talking a little bit with [Julián] Castro. Both he and I knew, as people who can speak Spanish, that now we were gonna bring it as well,” Booker told CNN’s Anderson Cooper while laughing a bit.

"I can't really remember… I just knew he had laid a gauntlet down," said a chuckling Cory Booker in response to a viral photo in which he appeared to be giving a "side eye" to rival Beto O'Rourke who was speaking in Spanish. #DemDebate https://t.co/BaX6F2oK1e pic.twitter.com/tKJhiZ0Vgi

— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 27, 2019

Booker said that he didn’t remember exactly what he was thinking about at the moment, but that he “realized that there’s a lot of bilingual people, some even trilingual, in this race, and I’m happy to have those skills.”  

He repeated similar sentiments to MSNBC‘s Chris Matthews.

Chris Matthews asks Cory Booker about "the look."

"He threw down the gauntlet, & I had to respond," Booker says. "….I was listening to him & I was like, OK, fine, it's good that he's showing that. …I'm nowhere near fluent, but I'm conversational. We need to do more of that" pic.twitter.com/mQvVQ2c8M1

— Rebecca Buck (@RebeccaBuck) June 27, 2019

Whatever the reasoning behind the look, the internet is thankful for the new gif/reaction picture that will surely serve us for years to come.

When you’re out at brunch with your friends and someone says “Damn, who ordered gratuity?” #DemDebate #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/HZ9NW4BFFH

— Evil Fitness Barbie (@bgg2wl) June 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/Kcoleman17/status/1144081076484222977

For Housewives fans: this is like when you planned to storm off the reunion stage and then someone else storms off the reunion stage before you get a chance!!!!

— Caity Weaver (@caityweaver) June 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/maheksico/status/1144062288820932608

TOPICS:  2020 democratic debates Beto O’Rourke cory booker Democratic presidential candidates side eye