It's been 10 years since the world lost Harambe. Millions loved the gorilla and mourned him on a global scale. With the sad anniversary just hours away, The White House shared a tribute to Harambe via its official social media account on X.
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"Today, we remember a legend," the post began. "On this day in history, Harambe would have celebrated another birthday. An icon that became part of internet history, American culture, and an entire generation's timeline. Tomorrow marks 10 years since we lost him. Ten years since the moment the world stopped scrolling and collectively mourned something bigger than a meme."
The post then continues by remembering what Harambe meant to the world, and the lessons we can learn from the adorable primate.
"He became a symbol of loyalty, strength, chaos, unity, and the strange beauty of the internet, bringing millions of people together for one cause: never forgetting Harambe," the post continued. "Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news. And somehow, a decade later, his legacy still lives on."
The Internet Reacted to the White House's Post
A large portion of users were clearly displeased with the White House's posts, many of them pointing out that there hasn't been a similar tribute for George Floyd, who died during a similar time frame.
"I don't think people are getting the peak sarcasm here, they didn't make a post about George Floyd, but they made one about an APE... Around the same dates of the death," one user wrote. "You guys really gotta put 2 and 2 together or else you're going to forget how to be outraged."
Other users were simply in disbelief that such a post would come from one of the most important offices on the global scene.
"If you'd told me a decade ago the White House would be Harambe-posting, I never would've believed it," a user noted.
Interestingly, some viewed the post as proof that internet culture has become so synonymous with everyday life, that it's fitting such a post came from the White House.
"White House posting a full Harambe remembrance 10 years later is peak timeline convergence," a user noted. "What started as pure internet chaos became collective memory. Some memes just refuse to die."
Whatever your stance is on the subject, you will find a string of people agreeing and disagreeing with you in the comments. The White House is no stranger to divided opinions. However, even they might not have seen such a mixed response coming.
