Gamergate’s Legacy Lives on in Attacks Against Kamala Harris

Back in August 2014, the misogynistic online campaign that became known as Gamergate was something that bubbled up in the anonymous, dark corners of the internet that only a select few even knew existed. So much so that when US vice president Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, the attacks didn’t originate from some anonymous troll—they came from inside the House. Representative Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, called Harris a “DEI hire” in a post on X. Wisconsin Republican Representative Glenn Grothman told a local media outlet that Democrats “feel they have to stick with her because of her ethnic background.” Former president Donald Trump labeled Harris a “radical, left lunatic” and “nasty.” Taking their cues from elected lawmakers and leaders in the Republican Party, the right-wing attack machine kicked into gear, quickly escalating things further. Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who is closely allied with the Trump campaign, baselessly labeled Harris “an escort” and a “prostitute” who has slept her way to the top. The tactics used eventually “became embedded into the MAGA movement” and “seeped into the fabric of US democracy,” says Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at Free Press, an advocacy group that supports an open internet.