The Brief: Kimberly Guilfoyle's speech at the 2020 RNC included her yelling "THE BEST IS YET TO COME," inspiring memes and mockery online.
DEEP DIVE
The most prominent meme from the first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention is of Kimberly Guilfoyle yelling “the best has yet to come.” Guilfoyle, who is an attorney, the chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee, and Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, gave an enthusiastic speech to an almost empty room (due to Coronavirus precautions) on Monday night. Her speech, which emphasized the anxieties the Trump campaign seeks to invoke in voters, ended with the loudly declared lines “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LEADERS AND FIGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
The high-energy and dramatic elements of Fuilfoyle’s speech inspired numerous memes and parodies as the hashtag #GuilfoyleChallenge trended on Twitter the next day. Kimberly Guilfoyle yelling memes mock the overenthusiasm, raised arm movements, and loud volume featured in her RNC speech.
This musical version of “the best is yet to come” deserves an iMarkkeyz remix:
Kimberly Guilfoyle's speech sounded like something an over-the-top super villain would say, so I turned her speech into an over-the-top super villain song.
🎵 The Best Is Yet To Come🎵 pic.twitter.com/agrhsFdKJr
— Jonathan Mann (@songadaymann) August 25, 2020
Some meme-makers applied the phrase “the best is yet to come” to unrelated situations:
the one friend who doesn't want to go home at 330am but try a fourth bar pic.twitter.com/EmEXbvPfEm
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) August 25, 2020
Me when the lasagna is done and the alfredo is on the way during my Tour of Italy ™️ at @olivegarden pic.twitter.com/GhhGPCTI5L
— Charlie Joughin (@CharlesJoughin) August 25, 2020
Others mocked the speech more broadly with jokes and pop culture references:
Very Robocop. https://t.co/HvDEDskqop
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) August 25, 2020
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) August 25, 2020
There was some speculation online as to whether or not Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. were high on cocaine while they made their remarks. Although not based on hard evidence, the hashtag #CocaineConvention trended on Twitter on Tuesday.
Kimberly Guilfoyle right before she got on stage #RNC #KimberlyGuilfoyle #RepublicanConvention pic.twitter.com/GilUyH6t3P
— E (@toxic_antifem) August 25, 2020
Who did this?? 😂 pic.twitter.com/GFZYGRLUxX
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) August 25, 2020
They’re not on coke. They’re just evil and dumb. I say this as a former cokehead!
— Carey O'Donnell (@ecareyo) August 25, 2020
Why does this crazy lady look like she is Cruella De Vil coming to steal all of America's puppies? 👀#CocaineConvention pic.twitter.com/ICWWBeS0Pi
— Women SCARE Trump💪🤣🌈 (@Ky_Gill28) August 25, 2020
Wow, Kimberly Guilfoyle was great last night. #CocaineConvention pic.twitter.com/bYl6lAsafj
— Steven Tender (@MooseTender) August 25, 2020
Others highlighted Guilfoyle’s storied past, which includes this 2004 photoshoot with her then-husband Gavin Newsom:
Her insane speech was just the latest moment in the bizarre life of Kimberly Guilfoyle. She was on Fox, she was a lingerie model, and she prosecuted that case in SF where the dogs mauled a woman. Oh and she did this photo shoot w her ex husband (ca gov newsom). pic.twitter.com/L458mFa0G3
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 25, 2020
Guilfoyle’s speech was featured in this spot-on Saint Hoax WAP remix: