A social media post depicting her as Shiva, the god of destruction. Some have used her misleading deepfake techniques to show her insulting voters. Furthermore, some of them have harsh words for their college-age sons.
For much of her presidential campaign, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former ambassador to the United Nations, has escaped an onslaught of attacks from internet trolls who are avid followers of former President Donald J. Trump. The cadre of mostly anonymous figures who wage near-constant battles in Trump’s name began by targeting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered the former president’s most likely rival in the 2024 Republican primary. Focused on attacking mercilessly. However, the car changed direction as Haley became the last remaining opponent.
In recent weeks, online celebrities have spread vicious attacks through memes, posts, and videos that focus on her race, gender, and identity. Some of them denigrate her, saying she was “made fun of for being brown,” while others falsely claim she doesn’t deserve it. Her parents were immigrants, and she is president. Some of the most disturbing material was generated by artificial intelligence, digitally manipulating her voice and likeness. Much of the content is filled with vulgar sexual innuendo.
Joan Donovan, a disinformation researcher and assistant professor of journalism at Boston University, said these threats and insults are indicative of the low politics and forms of “network harassment” deployed by Trump and his online supporters. said.
“These are people who see themselves as participants in Trump’s troll army,” Donovan said. “Other politicians have not been able to activate their online audiences in the same way.”
The online slander is likely to intensify as Haley and Trump face off in a heated primary contest in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday. And in an age where campaigns wage war offline as well as online, not all efforts are limited to the Internet.
Laura Loomer, an internet activist close to Trump who has made harsh personal attacks on Haley on social media, tried to ambush her at a campaign event and yelled questions at her staff and agents. I tried to film the response. BlazeTV’s Alex Stein sat down with some of Haley’s young female volunteers.
For much of the campaign, Mr. Trump’s staff, his allies, and online MAGA fans focused their energy on Mr. DeSantis, but Mr. DeSantis continued to engage in social media portrayals of Mr. DeSantis, his wife, his staff, and President Trump. was bombarded with posts and videos. Representation in a very unpleasant way. The attacks on the governor focused on his masculinity, loyalty, and competence, sending him soaring in the polls and making him a confident fighter for the conservative cause among Republican primary voters. This has tarnished the image of the governor.
The tide against Haley began shortly after the Iowa caucuses, when it became clear that Haley, not DeSantis, represented Trump’s strongest challenger. Initially, it focused on her foreign policy stance, accusing her of being a “warmonger” and attacking some of her policy decisions as governor of South Carolina. While her daughter Hailey mainly tried to distance herself from the fray, her son Nalin happily hit back at his rivals on social media platforms with his own memes and sarcasm.
The tone of the attacks has been dramatic since the Daily Mail published an article on January 19 that delved into old allegations that Haley had two extramarital affairs in 2008, two years before she was first elected governor. changed. Although Hailey has long denied her accusations, the article sparked a flood of sexually explicit content about her on X and other social media platforms.
The posts, often obscene, used artificial intelligence to manipulate images and mimic Haley’s voice, eliminating traditional political criticism and instead portraying opponents as morally lax. I tried to make it. Some of the posts were created by a team of internet trolls calling themselves Trump’s Online War Machine.
Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women’s Politics at Iowa State University, said the content captures a combination of sexist and racist undertones designed to disenfranchise the subject and turn him into an object of ridicule. He said there was. She and other analysts say this type of harassment can be especially damaging to female candidates.
“It reduces women to sexual objects,” she says. That could open the door to more dangerous threats and physical violence, she added, explaining how Haley was the target of a trumped-up 911 call that sent authorities rushing to her door. I pointed out what happened.
Trump has started ignoring the primaries and focusing on the general election, and MAGA online gladiators are pivoting to attacks on President Biden and Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, who has filed criminal charges against Biden. Interest in Haley appeared to be waning this month as he moved on. President Trump accuses him of interfering in Georgia’s 2020 election. But with the South Carolina primary just days away, Haley is once again in the spotlight.
Supporters and allies of Ms. Haley hold Ms. Trump and her staff responsible for stirring up online criticism. Last year, when Ms. Haley first started rising in her polls, the former president began calling her “Bird Brain.” Her top advisers have followed suit, often describing her as a “fool” in online posts. Trump himself amplified reports on his own social media sites that raised questions about her citizenship.
Ms. Haley has fought back against some of Mr. Trump’s attacks, with mixed results. Her campaign, which has a top staff of women and a national coalition of highly active female volunteers, initially gleefully pointed to the “birdbrain” insult as evidence that the Trump campaign was concerned about her momentum. . She has been increasingly critical of the former president in recent days, accusing him of being a grumpy old man who is “out of sorts.” Her attacks on Trump’s age and mental health have not necessarily reached some of her supporters, who have previously refused to talk about her personal matters. She says it’s better.
Haley’s social media usage tends to be fairly traditional and scripted, and her team’s usage is similar, with a focus on promoting events, policy, and news media appearances. Masu. Unlike her Trump counterpart, she doesn’t seem to have a wide base of highly loyal and highly online messengers. And her campaign’s attempt to create an anti-Trump meme a few weeks ago was roundly ridiculed. Still, some of her staffers have worked directly with Trump’s team.
Haley sparked a heated debate online Tuesday after she gave a speech pledging not to drop out regardless of the outcome Saturday at South Carolina, despite a string of early losses.
Stephen Chan, Trump’s press secretary who is known for ranting against the former president’s rivals, told X that Haley would “stand back” and praise Trump once the primaries are over. Hailey’s publicist, Olivia Perez-Cubas, responded with a kiss emoji and an “xoxo.”
In a statement to the New York Times, Chan again called Haley a “bird brain” and said she had not yet named any states she could win. In response, Perez-Cubas cited Haley’s statement that she would “attract all the voters that Donald Trump drove away from the party,” referring to the Republican Party’s losses in recent elections.
Regarding the increase in content from Trump fans, Perez-Cubas said it highlights why “the tone at the top matters.”
“We need someone who can restore civility and heal this country,” she said. “You can be tough and strong without hatred.”
Some offline efforts to troll Haley’s team have sparked a backlash. Outside the upscale honky-tonk in Dallas where Haley spoke last week, Blaze TV personality Stein berated several young female staffers on camera, calling them “hoes,” and uploaded them to his OnlyFans account. requested information regarding. A subscription-based website primarily used by sex workers.
The move was criticized online by Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who was one of Mr. DeSantis’ leading supporters, and other conservatives.
“I debate elevating this action, but it must be called out loud,” Roy wrote to X. But attacking young, especially female, campaign staff and volunteers in this way deserves an outspoken rejection. Good luck, @BlazeTV. ”
Mr. Stein later apologized.
Nicholas Nehamas Contributed to the report.
