It’s telling that Trump’s pet-eating protestations have inspired only a limp defense, outside of his running mate, JD Vance, doubling and tripling down. The ABC moderators are biased for saying it’s not true. One guy told the cops he maybe saw some Haitians holding some geese one time. OK, well.
Trump’s internet addiction is well-documented. He majority-owns the platform Truth Social, where his account constantly posts and reposts, 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 unto themselves. Trump is now fully enmeshed in the manosphere, giving audience to influencers like Logan Paul and Adin Ross, a self-perpetuating cycle of bro-dom. The ouroboros tightens to the point that baby executions become an accepted reality rather than an obvious untruth. The more fragmented the internet becomes, the more jarring mass exposure to certain corners of it can be to the uninitiated.
At least, that’s the theory. In truth, we don’t yet know how Trump’s debate performance landed with undecided voters, or whether it will make any difference in the long run. He’s too online, sure, but maybe it’s all relative. Maybe we’re all so inundated with internet garbage that, for a majority of people, conspiracies bleed inexorably into gospel. Maybe the most alarming outcome of a major presidential candidate personifying 4chan is that it works.
The Chatroom
Conspiracy theories weren’t the only headlines out of last night’s debate. We also saw Taylor Swift endorse Kamala Harris shortly after the closing arguments. As you might expect, this created a frenzy online, complete with a surfeit of Brittany Mahomes memes. (I’ll spare you from the lore if you’re not already caught up.)
Do you think Swift’s backing could have a tangible impact on the race? Are there any other celebrity or influencer endorsements that could sway the election?
Send me an email at mail@wired.com, and let me know what you think!
💬 Leave a comment below this article.
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What Else We’re Reading
🔗 An Ex-Tenet Reporter Blasted YouTube for Banning Him—But He Secretly Deleted His Own Channel: The fallout from the Tenet Media scandal—in which Russian state media allegedly financed unwitting far-right influencers—continues to spread. (The Daily Dot)
🔗 What If Trump Wins?: Rolling Stone goes deep on 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
Check out the podcast today! Makena Kelly and Tim Marchman, WIRED’s director of politics, security, and science, joined our host, Leah Feiger, late Tuesday night to discuss the memorable moments, the policies and, of course, all the conspiracies that came up in the debate.
That’s it for today—thanks again for subscribing. Makena will be back next week, and you can get in touch with her via email, Instagram, X, and Signal at makenakelly.32.
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