“THE ORANGE EMPEROR, THE BITCH, AND THE SLUT”: MEME ATTACKS ON TRUMP, CLINTON, AND HARRIS

Abstract

This study examines the gendered meme attacks against Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris during their 2016 and 2024 presidential election campaigns using William Benoit’s Theory of Persuasive Attack. This unique message form, often consisting of visual parody and satire, utilizes a variety of attack strategies. The most prominent attacks were those targeting character, including references to race, gender, and morality. Specific strategies included the following: accused has performed acts consistent with the trait, accused has made statements consistent with the trait, accused associates with people who share the trait, accused is contrasted with people who do not share the trait, and exemplifying the trait with a particularly offensive example. Attacks on actions were also present. These included accused committed the act before, accused benefited from the act, extent of damage, and inconsistency. Each strategy is discussed along with implications for the future study of the rhetorical influence of memes within the context of presidential politics, gender, and race.