The Girl Who Told Me to Shut It

Trump voters aren't happy and I think I might know why

Within the first twenty-four hours of election night, I saw that my “Trump-supporting friends” were back in my social media feed, and my follow count on Instagram dropped by 400 overnight. This, combined with the heady rush Trump voters felt after their win, resulted in an immediate tone shift on my platform, contributing to the dazed grief Harris voters in my circle felt after election night. I’m still unpacking the changes.

I posted throughout the shocking aftermath, validating and honoring whatever feelings came up as I did so. But I noticed the change in energy immediately. On Instagram, the drop comforted me. I recognized my regulars and names in the comments as supportive.

The vibe was different on Facebook: people I’d long assumed had unfriended me were suddenly back, posting macabre bloody red waves with JESUS IS ON THE THRONE fist bumps. Their presence surprised me, as it always does (more on why below). It turned my stomach with dread to witness their glee. Not because of their win but because of what I knew it would mean for their perceived enemies and my personal history with them. They didn’t care who was upset with their celebration, but as the days continued, they seemed progressively unhappier, too.

It took a few days to figure out. The informal consensus with content creators was that there was algorithmic fuckery afoot: the troll-bots were turned off (follow drop), and Meta’s attempts to cut down on conflict and pre-election vitriol by apparently suppressing opposing views, was over. While trying to accept the majority had not won, we also would have to dust off communication skills with Trump voters, and this would all happen not, as is traditional, after the transfer of power, but immediately and right now, before a holiday that emphasizes gratitude and togetherness.

That trauma survivors felt stunned and spiritually bypassed is an understatement. Some unfriended en masse. Some, like Andrea Tate, canceled the holidays. Some, like me, found themselves the target of mean girls who haven’t changed since high school.

I wrote about the girl who invited me to coffee so she could discuss how much she disagreed with me here. Today, I’m writing about The Girl Who Told Me to Shut It.

And yes, this post includes receipts.