Trump Supporters Promote Victim-Blaming Hashtag On Twitter

On Wednesday night, six women went public with allegations of sexual misconduct by Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump. Two of the alleged victims brought their stories to the New York Times after hearing Trump lie about his history of assulat in the second presidential debate. These accusations prompted Trump to threaten a lawsuit against the paper and for his supporters to bash his accusers on Twitter using #NextFakeTrumpVictim.

The hashtag started on 4Chan in an attempt to “change the narrative.”

via Twitter

The Trump campaign is saying his accusers have gone public in a coordinated effort by the Clinton campaign to smear him in the weeks leading up to the election. The hashtag serves to discredit his accusers, essentially creating the conditions that keep sexual assault victims silent in the first place. Most of these women probably remained silent for years in order to avoid being sued or publicly shamed by a rich, powerful and remorseless man. To support women who’ve come out against Trump, a rival hashtag has emerged #WhyWomenDontReport.