The best thing we can do during this tumultuous transition is to listen and learn.

Ramon Ramirez

Published November 9, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. CST

Main character of the week is a weekly column that tells you the Most Important “Main Character” Online (good or bad). It runs on Fridays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlrwhere you’ll receive daily internet culture news straight to your inbox.

---

Featured Video

Here is the Trending teamthe main character of the week: It’s your dislocated loved ones on Facebook.

Tuesday evening’s election Donald Trump to the presidency it didn’t take long sparkle sad, combativeAnd panic Facebook posts on my friends list. My sister-in-law got into a fight with her parents and left the group chat. I had an argument with my brother. Besides posted with anger and then apologized on his Facebook. A good friend’s mother texted DIY pictures from her local polling place insinuating that Democrats were trying to steal the election. City friends bragged about unfriending and unfollowing people from high school. My WhatsApp loved ones sent crying emoji and/or made fun of Americans.

I don’t think that Donald Trump should be the president of the United States.

In 2016, I I felt betrayed by online friends who were critical of Democrats. They were therefore anti-establishment in their thinking that they didn’t vote or were outright supportive of Trumpism. Opening my Facebook timeline sparked a feeling of fear and anger to my extended connections. Even their “Clinton was a bad candidate” above the fray hurt.

But I am I’m not going back to judge my people because we disagree.

Self-care separates Trump from his voters

While I disapprove of Trump racist statements on third world countries, fear its restricted circle of facilitators who are home to some of the most extreme ideas ever seen for taking power in the United States, and usually cries for the future of my immigrant, LGBTQ and female friends, I don’t blame Trump apologists.

Within reason! The right-wing experts are subject to bad faith arguments rationalize sexism and racism. I don’t like them. Fellow Austinite Joe Rogan positions itself as a champion of freedom of expression open to good ideas, but its worldview is shaped by men with conservative agendas as Dana White, Elon MuskAnd Jordan Peterson. Her interview with Trump was propaganda. Rogan wasn’t ready to ask enough good questions and exploited its subject’s celebrity to oppose issues such as transgender students. He relied on extreme examples to formulate general hypotheses about complex subjects. Not a fan either.

But people in my Facebook circle who chose to support Trump for whom I have nothing but love.

They are no better or more virtuous than Harris voters. They do their best, finding identity and comfort in a story they’ve told themselves. This makes them deeply human.

Better this time

Make no mistake, I believe that Trump’s propensity for cronyism will lead to a a more corrupt and less efficient government. But on Wednesday, I I didn’t wander on my Facebook. I asked my friends why they thought Trump won. I had 25 different answers and I learned from them all.

As journalists and citizens, the best thing we can do during this tumultuous transition is listen and learn.

I think it will be harder to do my job under Trump. Trump’s first term was extremely stressful. I covered a Trump rally live in 2016 and my skin was crawling when he ordered his supporters to boo the media. He wants revoke CBS’ broadcast license. You never know when a right-wing YouTuber with strangely deep pockets wants to initiate legal proceedings. It’s harder to get honest answers. There is no more noise on the internet.

We will have to be twice as meticulous.

The internet is chaotic, but we’ll break it down for you in a daily email. Subscribe to the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the Internet delivered straight to your inbox.