State-Sponsored Trolling

The advent of social media has revolutionized how we interact with one another; you’re able to form connections with people you would have never been able to and reach countless others due to the curated and fast-paced nature of their algorithms. However, this culture has sprouted some peculiar societal shifts, with countless online goers engaging in para-social relationships with public figures. While generally regarded as unhealthy behavior, this trend has paved the way for a new form of political influence through posting.

Ragebaiting

Ragebaiting has seemingly become a mainstream political tactic in U.S. politics, thanks largely in part to Donald Trump. The strategy stems from the larger bubble of disinformation seen throughout election history but deviates due to the online facet, which plays a crucial role in the virulent spread of ragebait; Trump’s use of Twitter (and now TruthSocial) as the medium in which he communicates with the public, exemplifies this. He uses a combination of emotional appeals, volatile rhetoric, and audacious displays of bravado to insert himself into the public sphere and general conscious, regardless of the public’s disdain.

Paternal…Guidance?

Emotional appeal has long been a core campaign tactic with its roots in the 1824 election. Responding to his own loss, Andrew Jackson utilized the media to implant the idea of a corrupt bargain into the public’s minds. This spread of misinformation, in conjunction with populist rhetoric targeting newly enfranchised white male voters, ultimately paved the way for his election in 1828. Trump follows in Jackson’s footsteps, employing similar emotionally tinged rhetoric to target his core base of conservative white male voters. In addition, Trump’s carefully curated para-social relationships with his followers adds nuance to the misinformation he spreads. For example, in his speech to calm down insurrectionists on January 6^th, 2021:

It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened where they could take it away from all of us — from me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home, and go home in peace.

Trump makes outright claims of election fraud, but he intersperses it between the larger, repeated mentions of his supporters as if they are closely related, almost family. He knows they are going “through a tough time” and notes that he “loves [them],” as if insurgency is something as insignificant as puberty. He strategically feeds these para-social relationships to quell his displeased supporters, acting as some larger paternal father-figure to the rioter coalition. Using these relationships, he continues to propagate the belief that he cares about these people, emboldening his supporters in the process.

Humble Brag

Intrinsically, tweet communication has limited capabilities that make it a good medium to fire off quippy, thoughtless remarks. These limiting factors, however, are usually observed in random’s shitposts, not the president’s shitposting.

Donald Trump’s choice to mindlessly fire off tweets has worked astronomically well to garner supporters. It is an understated populist approach, with the functionality of streamlining “relatable,” plainspoken communication that appeals to the public, who otherwise may not be all that knowledgeable about governmental affairs. Moreover, his disregard for stature plays into the public’s perception of his direct, and by extension honest, character, increasing his likeability independent of his politics. Furthermore, Trump often uses rhetoric that fuses his supporters and himself as one, which helps contextualize comments such as these:

With me, 60 Minutes does the exact opposite! They take everything I say, realize how totally BRILLIANT it is, and take it out. So, with Kamala they add, with “TRUMP,” they delete. Like the Democrat Party, THEY ARE A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!

BETA MALE Howard Stern made a fool of himself on his low rated radio show when he “interviewed” Lyin’ Kamala Harris, and hit her with so many SOFTBALL questions that even she was embarrassed. He looked like a real fool, working so hard to make a totally incompetent and ill-equipped person look as good as possible, which wasn’t very good. I dropped Howard a long time ago, like most others, and have since been credited with very good judgment! MAGA2024

He goes after groups or individuals, calling them offensive names in the process, all the while bragging about why he, or the larger Trump faction, is holier than thou despite what others may say. By combining all their identities into one Trump amalgamation, Trump strengthens his supporters’ para-social inclination; a slight to Trump is a slight to the whole Trump amalgam, which is certainly worthy of attack. On top of that, his brisk comments such as “MAGA2024” and “THEY ARE A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY” are subtle but aim to tie these attacks back to the cause they fight for: a corrupt government predicated on the fall of Donald Trump, and at large, the American people.

More Calls for Insurrection

If one insurrection wasn’t bad enough, how about justification for another one? Para-social relationships with Donald Trump have reached peak heights, and it is unlikely any one of his disciples will choose to jump ship now. His influence over his people is strong, and reality only drifts further away from the group with every passing day. Amid this, Trump’s recent repeated calls for the liberation of Colorado are concerning regarding post-election violence:

We are now known, all throughout the world, as OCCUPIED AMERICA…But to everyone here in Colorado and all across our nation, I make you this vow: November 5th, 2024 will be LIBERATION DAY in America. I will rescue Aurora and every town that has been invaded and conquered—and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail or kick them the hell OUT OF OUR COUNTRY… I am announcing today that upon taking office, we will have an OPERATION AURORA at the Federal Level… I will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American Soil. No person who has inflicted the violence and terror that Kamala Harris has inflicted on this community can EVER be allowed to become POTUS!

His supporters, along with him himself, do not seem to have the intention of accepting a Trump loss; it is simply unfathomable. Trump’s inclusion of loaded phrases like “OCCUPIED AMERICA” and the “[invasion] and [conquering]” of Aurora, CO aim to stir up sensationalist news, further stoking the flames of violence against immigrants and provoking his fan-base to act not just against the aforementioned “bloodthirsty criminals,” but putting a target on Kamala Harris as well.