Is Trump’s Election Victory Fueling Online Misogyny and Racism?

Since Donald Trump’s recent victory in the US elections, sexist and abusive attacks against women have reportedly increased.  Phrases such as “your body, my choice” and “get back to the kitchen” have gone rampant on social media. According to data from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), misogynistic posts driven by figures such as Nick Fuentes (a White nationalist and Holocaust denier) have risen on social platforms like X and TikTok,  His post last week proclaiming, “Your body, my choice. Forever,” gained more than 90 million views and 35,000 shares. Moreover, the ISD reported a staggering 4,600% surge in mentions of this phrase on X between Thursday and Friday.

The phrase “your body, my choice,” is a counterfeit of the popular slogan “my body, my choice” and reflects a growing hostility toward women’s reproductive rights. It is pertinent to mention that the slogan became a focal issue in this election. During his election campaign, Trump himself faced criticism for comments on women, saying he would protect them “whether they like it or not.” Meanwhile, Vice President-elect JD Vance added to the criticism by mentioning “childless cat ladies” and referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “trash.”

Moreover, the data from the ISD shows that many of these online harassers are linked to the “manosphere.” It is an umbrella term used to describe misogynistic communities ranging from anti-feminist groups to those promoting explicit hatred and violence against women. This rise in hate speech is not limited to online spaces as the ISD report indicates that phrases like “your body, my choice” have even been chanted at young girls in schools.

On the other hand, social media platforms are looking for ways to tackle the issue. In this regard, TikTok said that the phrase “your body, my choice” violates its guidelines unless explicitly used to counteract hate speech. Meanwhile, X’s harassment policy mainly restricts only targeted abuse of specific individuals.

Simultaneously, anonymous racist text messages targeting Black people have also been reported across the US, echoing similarly hateful sentiments. Authorities are now probing these incidents amid growing concerns that online extremism may spill over into real-world violence, following Trump’s victory.

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