Bernie Sanders used a viral image of himself at the inauguration to raise nearly USD 2 million for charity, but said: “even this amount of money is no substitute for action by Congress”.

The 79-year-old independent from Vermont said merchandise featuring the image has raised USD 1.8 million for the hunger charity Meals on Wheels Vermont in just five days, according to the Associated Press.

The image shows Sanders sitting with his arms and legs crossed while wearing a parka and a pair of woolly mittens. It was quickly turned into a meme, with people online sharing photoshopped images of the senator in all sorts of situations.

The next day, the senator began selling merchandise that featured the image, such as a black crewneck sweatshirt that appeared for sale on his campaign web store and quickly sold out before being restocked.