Boomers and other users on Threads and Reddit are going all in on memes about "Faceplant Guy," a man who ate dirt while trying to disrupt a No Kings protest in Denver, Colorado, over the weekend.

The older man earned the nickname after he was caught on video yelling pro-Trump slogans and anti-LGBTQ slurs near Denver’s Union Station, only to trip and fall twice during a chase with a young skater who stole his glasses.

Photographer Drew Kartos captured the moment, and it quickly spread across the internet, with people posting memes remixing and remaking the scene in which Faceplant Guy falls to the ground with his bottom in the air.

Here's how the story spread and how the man became the subject of numerous Photoshop edits, image macros and exploitable memes.

What's the Story Behind the 'Faceplant Guy' at the Denver No Kings Protest?

On October 18th, 2025, photographer Drew Kartos posted a video on Instagram showing an older man at a No Kings protest in Denver, Colorado.

The man, dressed in blue New York Giants apparel, was seen shouting, "God bless Trump," and slinging anti-LGBTQ remarks while flipping off protesters as he moved through the crowd.

A younger attendee with a skateboard then crept up and stole the man's glasses, prompting him to run after the prankster as he was allegedly tripped during the chase (twice), falling and striking his head near his eyebrow that later began bleeding.

The video went viral almost immediately. Within four days, it had over 14,000 views and 300 likes on Instagram.

On Reddit, Redditor theredhound19 reposted it to the subreddit /r/BoomersBeingFools on October 18th with the caption, "Trump boomer in Denver shouts slurs at protest then faceplants twice," gathering more than 23,000 upvotes in four days. Redditor WarmEntrepreneur3564 then shared it to /r/ThereWasAnAttempt that same day, gaining over 7,000 upvotes.

The Denver Gazette reported on the incident on October 22nd, noting that 18-year-old Jose Cardenas was arrested for allegedly stealing the man's glasses, while the person responsible for tripping Faceplant Guy remains unidentified.

How Did the Faceplant Guy Become a Meme?

The Faceplant Guy video quickly became a template for humor and memes online, particularly among boomers and older users who seemed to relish the spectacle of one of their politically opposed peers tripping at a No Kings protest.

On October 19th, Twitter / X user @notcapnamerica posted the clip with the caption, "IM SCREAMING," gathering over 27 million views and 100,000 likes in just three days.

Facebook user Tom Adelsbach posted a meme edit placing Faceplant Guy headfirst onto a cheese grater on October 20th, gathering more than 26,000 reactions in a day.

Other internet users, like Threads user @guy_fawkes_news, created AI-generated versions of the unfortunate incident, showing his fall cast in bronze like a statue.

On October 21st, Threads user @davidthestella made a post that read, "Right now in New York the face plant guy is getting coffee at a Starbucks and the barista is writing 'Faceplant Guy' on the cup." The post gathered over 3,900 likes in a day.

What Are Some More 'Faceplant Guy' Memes?

---

For the full history of the Faceplant Guy meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.