Nobody has done the Macarena at this year’s Democratic National Convention (so far), but that hasn’t stopped the internet from reminiscing about Hillary Clinton’s epic 1996 moment.
A video of the then-First Lady cheering on the dancing 1996 DNC attendees has resurfaced and become a popular meme on Twitter/X. As it turns out, we have a late-night writer to thank for the clip in the first place.
“Fun fact, I edited this clip,” tweeted comedy writer Jesse McLaren, who has written for Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as the 2020 Emmy Awards and 2023 and 2024 Oscars—all of which were hosted by Kimmel.
“In 2016, I watched the entire ’96 DNC to see if anything interesting happened, and suddenly MACARENA,” McLaren continued. “The actual moment wasn’t this… manic? I took the best shots and stitched them together but kept the music uncut. This is before I understood journalistic standards. Anyway, this edit is my contribution to American culture.”
In the video, a man can be seen draped in a gay pride flag. According to McLaren, the same man recently messaged him with some “added context” about the events. “[Bill] Clinton referenced gays in his speech which was a first in a prez candidate address of any dem or GOP con,” he wrote. “So happy.”
Like this year’s Democratic National Convention, the 1996 DNC—during which President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were nominated for reelection—also took place at the United Center in Chicago.
This is hardly the first time Hillary Macarena moment has gotten the internet’s attention. The clip made rounds during her 2016 presidential run, and it went viral yet again in 2020 when Clinton herself nodded to the meme.
Kamala Harris has yet to do the Macarena, but there’s still time. The current vice president will deliver her keynote address tonight as she formally accepts the party’s presidential nomination on the final night of the DNC.
