On Friday, the internet started to call Chris Christie “White Lizzo” after photos of the former New Jersey governor and 2024 presidential hopeful circulated following a visit to Ukraine. During his trip, Christie met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “to evaluate the effectiveness of the U.S. military aid that country has received”, according to The Root.
Christie drew attention to his visit as he attended a flower-laying service for Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russian forces, noted NBC News. As images of Christie surfaced on social media, Twitter users gave him the moniker “White Lizzo” which caused a stir online.
Ok white Lizzo🙄 pic.twitter.com/zzXomgC2i3
— 🇺🇸Kirk🇺🇸 (@Kirk_925) August 5, 2023
Explaining the motive for his visit to Ukraine, Christie remarked to reporters, “I am an advocate for there being more aid to Ukraine.” This notion was also shared by Republican presidential hopefuls including former Vice President Mike Pence and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Although the Biden administration and Congress have allocated an impressive $75 billion towards Ukraine since the war began, Ukraine would benefit from further financial aid, Zelenskyy expressed to Christie.
The unusual nickname “White Lizzo” may have been coined as a response to Lizzo, a popular female singer, who is facing serious allegations in a recent lawsuit. Three of her former dancers filed a complaint claiming she created a hostile working environment by “calling attention to one dancer’s weight gain and later berating, then firing, that dancer after she recorded a meeting because of a health condition.”
Chris Christie has now won the title of “The White Lizzo” as he arrives in Ukraine to give Zelensky a bouquet of flowers.
I’ve never seen a person who wants so much attention! It’s unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/3B3EVWN1SW
— Amanda Stafford (@RosannaM1970) August 4, 2023
The dancers also accused Lizzo’s dance captain of “proselytizing to other performers and deriding those who had premarital sex while sharing lewd sexual fantasies, simulating oral sex and publicly discussing the virginity of one of the plaintiffs”. While the lawsuit doesn’t state if Lizzo was aware of these activities, the plaintiffs believe she was.
Although the origin of “White Lizzo” remains uncertain, what is certain is that this nickname has taken the web by storm as people poke fun at Christie’s presidential ambitions as he comes under pressure to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.