I Really Don't Know What He Said at the End of That Sentence

Submission 793

Part of a series on 2024 CNN Presidential Debate. [View Related Entries]

About

I Really Don't Know What He Said at the End of That Sentence and I Don't Think He Knows That Either is a remark made by Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump in response to his opponent Joe Biden during the 2024 CNN Presidential Debate. The clip of Trump replying to Biden with the catchphrase went viral online in late June 2024 after the event, inspiring various memes and references.

Origin

On June 27th, 2024, during the 2024 CNN Presidential Debate between the preliminary U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden, which was livestreamed on YouTube,^[1] the latter was answering a question about the border crisis and appeared a misspeak while concluding his response.^[2]

“I’m going to continue to move until we get to total ban — on the total initiative relative to what we’re going to do with more border patrol and more asylum officers.”

As the debate moderator asked Donald Trump for his response, Trump replied that he didn't understand what Biden said at the end of that sentence and that he suspected that Biden didn't know that either (clip^[3] shown below).

"I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence and I don't think he knows that either."

Spread

In the hours following the broadcast, the moment, as well as clips of streamers reacting to it, achieved viral spread online. On June 27th, 2024, X^[4] user @EmmaTolkin posted the clip with the caption, "Instant classic" (shown below). The post garnered over 4.6 million views, 10,000 reposts and 112,000 likes in one day. Another post by X^[5] user @mazzypopstar garnered over 4.6 million views, 13,000 reposts and 94,000 likes in the same period.

Later on June 27th, X^[6] user @AuronMacintyre posted the clip with the caption, "That was the kill shot." The post gained over 14.1 million views, 25,000 reposts and 190,000 likes in one day.

On June 27th and 28th, 2024, users on X and other social media posted reaction memes based on the line. For example, on June 27th, X^[7] user @big_business_ posted a reaction that garnered over 250 reposts and 1,700 likes in one day (shown below).