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It is telling that Trump’s protests against pet consumption have inspired only weak advocacy, outside of his running mate, JD Vance, who has doubled and tripled his efforts. ABC moderators are biased for saying that it is not true. A guy said The police may have seen some Haitians holding some geese once. Well, that’s okay.
Trump’s addiction to the internet is well documented. He is majority owner of the platform Truth Social, where his account constantly posts and reposts memes, absorbing and amplifying memes with the ferocity of an unemployed edgelord. His online experience is a bubble within a bubble, with a language and reference points all its own. Trump is now fully immersed in the manosphere, giving audiences to influencers like Logan Paul and Adin Ross, a self-perpetuating cycle of brotherhood. The ouroboros narrows to the point where baby executions become an accepted reality rather than an obvious lie. The more fragmented the internet becomes, the more disconcerting mass exposure to certain corners of it can be to the uninitiated.
At least, that’s the theory. In truth, we still don’t know how Trump’s debate performance resonated with undecided voters, or whether it will make any long-term difference. He’s too connected to the Internet, sure, but maybe it’s all relative. Maybe we’re all so inundated with Internet garbage that, for most people, conspiracies seep inexorably into gospel. Perhaps the most alarming result of a major presidential candidate impersonating 4chan is that it works.
The chat room
Conspiracy theories weren’t the only headlines from last night’s debate. We also saw Taylor Swift endorse Kamala Harris shortly after the closing arguments. Unsurprisingly, this created a frenzy online, with an overabundance of Brittany Mahomes memes(I’ll spare you the story if you’re not already aware.)
Do you think Swift’s endorsement could have a tangible impact on the race? Are there any other celebrity or influencer endorsements that could sway the election?
Email me at mail@wired.com and tell me what you think.
💬 Leave a comment below this article.
WIRED Readings
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What else are we reading?
🔗 A former Tenet reporter slammed YouTube for banning him, but he secretly deleted his own channel: The fallout from the Tenet Media scandal — in which Russian state media allegedly funded unwitting far-right influencers — continues to spread. (The Daily Dot)
🔗 What if Trump wins?: Rolling Stone takes an in-depth look at the “potentially catastrophic consequences for the American experiment” that a second Trump term portends. (Rolling Stone)
🔗 Melinda French Gates embraces a new era and gets political, even when it’s uncomfortable: This profile of Melinda French Gates and her company Pivotal Ventures is an illuminating look at the politics of philanthropy. (Vanity Fair)
The download
Take a look at the today’s podcastMakena Kelly and Tim Marchman, WIRED’s director of politics, security, and science, joined our host, Leah Feiger, on Tuesday night to talk about the memorable moments, policies, and, of course, all the conspiracies that arose from the debate.
That’s all for today. Thanks again for subscribing. Makena will be back next week and you can contact her via email. Instagram, unknownand Signal in makenakelly.32.
