In 2016, a town hall debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton turned into an absolute prime-time slugfest filled with vile slurs and bitter outbursts.

But one ray of sunshine cut through the chaos – Kenneth Bone, an undecided voter wearing bright knitwear seated in the audience. 

The internet lit up with memes of ‘the Red Sweater Guy’ and, for a fleeting moment, one of the country’s most talked about men was declared ‘America’s new sweetheart.’

It was difficult to say why Bone struck such a chord with the 67 million people watching at home.

Perhaps it was his polite demeanor and wholesome appearance, or his earnest attempt to get an answer about how the US would meet its energy needs, or the fact that he still used a disposable camera.

Or maybe it was simply that, in a debate dominated by two of the most divisive figures in modern politics, Bone seemed refreshingly normal.  

Whatever it was, he became an instant curiosity and, briefly, a folk hero. Nick Allen, who was at the debate, set out to track down Ken Bone ten years on.

Sign up to our new free weekly DC Insider newsletter to find out where he is now, how that moment changed his life, who he’s been voting for since – and if he still has the sweater that helped make him famous. 

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