Three little words spelled one big mistake for Mike Pence.
During Tuesday night's vice presidential debate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine asked Indiana governor Mike Pence to answer for some of Republican nominee Donald Trump's racist remarks against Mexicans and Mexican-Americans — specifically, his repeated assertions that Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists.
But Pence was unwilling to comment on Trump's inflammatory rhetoric. After Kaine brought up Trump's word vomit, Pence seemed openly annoyed.
"Senator, you whipped out that Mexican thing again," he said to Kaine. "There are criminal aliens in this country, Tim, who have come into this country illegally who are perpetrating violence and taking American lives."
Pence's quip gained immediate meme status:
Senator, you've whipped out that Mexican thing again" is now my all-time favorite debate line #VPDebate
i'm sorry did he say "you whipped out that Mexican thing again" *puts on reading glasses* did that happen?
Sincere gasps at @HFA HQ as Pence said "you whipped out that Mexican thing again." Astonishing
VPDebate
But the phrase became more than just a meme. Latinos used the hashtag #ThatMexicanThing to push back against Pence's false suggestion that undocumented immigrants — or "aliens," to use Pence's dehumanizing terminology — perpetrate crimes at a higher rate than American citizens.
ThatMexicanThing where my mom has worked as a housekeeper for 25 yrs because her dream is to see her family's dreams come true. #VPDebate
ThatMexicanThing is my abuelita who moved to San Antonio without speaking English & slept in a barn while picking lettuce every summer.
thatmexicanthing where we work hard, play by the rules & continue to be discriminated. While .@realDonaldTrump cheats the system #VPDebate
Millions of Latino voters, showing up at the polls to reject blatant hate #ThatMexicanThing
ThatMexicanThing is where you sacrifice over and over again to give your children a better life so they're safe from people like Mike Pence
thatmexicanthing is is not a "thing at all" they are my family and friends.
I was a little put off at the flippancy @GovPenceIN uttered #thatmexicanthing "That Mexican thing" is racism and shouldn't be blown off.
ThatMexicanThing you do when save to send your kids to college https://t.co/Tj26mpLSGp
ThatMexicanThing is called voting to keep racist hatred out of the white house. #ImWithTim #ImWithHer #VPDebate
ThatMexicanThing where my immigrant mom put my ass through college and law school
Pence win? He didn't defend Trump. He lied repeatedly. He defended unconstitutional Syrian ban. Then there was #thatmexicanthing https://t.co/rniljD5ymS
Dear Mike Pence, you are not in Indiana anymore #ThatMexicanThing could cost you the election.
ThatMexicanThing where my father served our country in the Navy for over 20 years
ThatMexicanThing where Latinos stop a #MikePence 2020 presidential bid before it even begins. #pencedejo #VPDebate
ThatMexicanThing morphs into tweets of pride and resilence. Could more voting be next? #VPdebate https://t.co/rekJPzQmj7
Latinos weren't the only one's in on the joke. By the debate's end, ThatMexicanThing.com redirected to Hillary Clinton's campaign website, while ThatMexicanThing.org brought users to a voting registration site owned by TurboVote.
According to MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin, the Clinton campaign says they didn't purchase the domain:
https://t.co/vft43cweOW now redirects to Clinton's campaign website - but the Clinton camp tells NBC they didn't purchase the domain.
Latinos, specifically Mexican-Americans, have been a central Trump target throughout the election season. Aside from his verbal attacks on Mexican people, Trump has repeatedly proposed building a wall between the United States and Mexico (fact check: one currently exists) and has said he will force Mexico to pay for it. Mexico's former finance minister, Luis Videgaray Caso, has confirmed this will never happen.
