The State Department Tried to Rebrand As 'Department of Swagger' and Boy Did It Backfire

[steve2470]

http://time.com/5392874/department-of-swagger/

The State Department made a surprising announcement on Monday, and it had nothing to do with international affairs. The branch of the federal government had rebranded itself as “The Department of Swagger.”

Link to tweet

The re-branding campaign started when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched an Instagram account on Monday, posting an inaugural photo and declaring that the State Department has “swagger.” So much “swagger” that the entire department needed to be renamed to properly reflect the amount of “swagger” shown in Pompeo’s photo. “Thought I’d launch my Instagram account with some @statedept #swagger,” the secretary of state wrote alongside an image of a new (hopefully) joke state department seal, which was also posted on Pompeo’s Twitter account.

Link to tweet

Since taking over the State Department from Rex Tillerson, Pompeo has touted his drive to return swagger to the State Department. According to NPR, at his swearing in ceremony he said, “I want the State Department to get its swagger back.” Despite Pompeo’s swagger-driven mission, the internet, to say the least, was not impressed, seeming to see Pompeo’s rebranding effort as a dad joke with international ramifications. One Twitter user just commented “(cringe)”, while another told Pompeo, “you are so embarrassing.”

[sprinkleeninow]

1. Whatta freakin' farce. eom

[UCmeNdc]

2. I would hope that the State Department would understand this hurts The United States image abroad.

Other countries already think the US is full of immature, brainless idiots. This campaign just reinforces that image of the United States and its diplomats.

[barbtries]

9. we're living up to that image

more and more. sadly

[Cha]

3. JHC! How about A "Dept of Truth"? A real

fucking challenge for reputins.

[xxqqqzme]

4. Is there anyone in this arrogant, heartless administration

who is not a continual embarrassment?

[blugbox]

5. It's so stupid and embarrassing it actually hurts.

Again, i can't find the appropriate words to describe how this makes me feel. I can't wait to wake up from this.

Btw is he having a thumb war with that lady or what?! Looks like an awkward fist bump if that's what they were going for.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Really poor choice all the way around

Swagger? I thought this was the onion.

That photo - are they strangling the smiling lady in the middle?

[HuskyOffset]

8. I know, right?

When I saw the picture, I immediately thought of the Wayne Brady sketch on the Chappelle show wherein Wayne Brady famously asks, "Is Wayne Brady gonna have to choke a bitch?"

[Achilleaze]

7. The KGOP Reputin Dept. of Swag

is more accurate.

[NeoGreen]

10. Please tell me this is from the Onion (nt)

[maxrandb]

11. He needs to learn the difference between "swagger" and "blustering fool" n/t

[steve2470]

12. somehow I thought Pompeo was smarter than this

Thank god he's no longer at CIA. This was a really stupid move.

[Recursion]

13. Is he choking that woman? (nt)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. I think they're turning it into the Department of Swag

The whole Trump administration is a pack of thieves.

[gratuitous]

15. Just. Fucking. Stop.

Drop the Mike Pompeo.