Krassensteins: Why We Tweet - Our Story
Some people ask us, "why the hell do you tweet when you get so much hate in return?"
While those on the right often claim that there is a nefarious plot and "dirty democrats" or "Soros" money behind each of our tweets, we find such accusations amusing. Typically, those who resort to such tactics lack valid counterarguments to our posts. Instead of engaging in a constructive discussion, they attempt to discredit our ideas by insinuating that they are not our own but rather paid propaganda. Such allegations could also stem from a satirical video, which Infowars and Alex Jones disseminated years ago:
We first joined Twitter in 2010, but we did not venture into politics until late 2016, just weeks before the presidential election. Both of us were expecting children at the time, and with Trump as a legitimate contender, his bigoted rhetoric and divisive behavior made us question his fitness to occupy the highest office in the land. The prospect of my newborn son entering a nation with a president who espoused such dishonesty and animosity only strengthened our resolve to push back.
As Donald Trump used Twitter to spread lies, hate, bigotry and ignorance, we decided to push back against his toxic rhetoric by debunking his lies and sharing facts. This strategy worked, as more people began following us and retweeting our posts. Before we knew it, we had a direct line into Trump's thoughts. We often had the first and second replies under his tweets, much to the chagrin of his supporters.
Conservatives on the right attempted to dismiss our success by claiming that Twitter was boosting our replies, but the truth was that our replies simply had a lot of likes and retweets. We had figured out how the Twitter algorithm worked at the time and took advantage of it to drive bigots and hatemongers crazy, including Trump himself. Interestingly, this algorithm is now publicly available for anyone to learn about, thanks to Elon Musk.
Although we never intended for Trump to read our tweets, we are confident that we got under his thin, orange skin. In 2018, he blocked both of our accounts, preventing us from reading or replying to his tweets. This move was ironic given the conservative attacks on Twitter for supposedly banning certain individuals and attacking the First Amendment.
It is an ironic twist of fate that while Twitter faced backlash for alleged censorship, it was Trump who was found guilty of violating the First Amendment rights of American citizens. We were part of a lawsuit against the President filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute, and a federal judge ruled in our favor, forcing the President to quietly unblock our accounts.
Despite the victory in court, we continued to face baseless accusations from conservatives. False claims of being paid by Soros, using bots to manipulate the Twitter algorithm, and criminal misconduct related to a 2016 investigation were levied against us. It is important to note that no charges or arrests resulted from the investigation.
The vitriol and harassment escalated beyond mere falsehoods online. As Trump's popularity dwindled in early 2019, we became the targets of threats, identity theft, and felonies. Anti-Semitic letters, some containing death threats to us and our loved ones, were sent to us repeatedly. Someone even made a bomb threat in my name at an international airport. Numerous other incidents also occurred, but I will not delve into them publicly.
Despite the harm caused, we believe that pushing back against the former President's dangerous rhetoric was worth it. The fight for truth and justice must continue, even in the face of adversity.
The tactics of intimidation are a favorite tool of fascist regimes, and those who are aware that their opinions are unpopular. It is a craven way to gain the upper hand in a debate. The people who threaten others are, in fact, frightened themselves. They are terrified that their ideas will be overshadowed by those of their opponents in the public forum. This indicates that you are succeeding.
We remain committed to standing up for those who have been marginalized, including the transgender community and people of color. Our ongoing efforts involve debunking the lies perpetuated by the former president's supporters and investigating dishonest organizations that aim to undermine the democratic process in our country.
In 2018, we uncovered a plot to slander Robert Mueller with false rape allegations. We have also uncovered a plot by foreign governments to smear Ilhan Omar as a "Qatari agent," and exposed the deceitful past of Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault. Our extensive presence on both Twitter and Substack enables us to promptly discredit misinformation and expose those responsible for spreading it.
In conclusion, we urge you to follow our lead. When you encounter individuals spewing hatred towards certain groups on social media, challenge them. Educate them on why their hateful remarks lack any factual basis. We can put a stop to misinformation by presenting the truth. It's effective. Trump is no longer president, and the spread of hate is no longer triumphing, even if it may appear that way at times.
I will NEVER forget the awful dread Ii felt on Election Night in 2016 as Trump was declared the winner. Dread so strong I cried. I don’t even have kids. But I know kids, and I am a woman, live in a state where whites are outnumbered by Hispanics, and where gun ownership was already unfettered. Where militias and the KKK still flourish. A complicated panoply of emotions from which I viewed the election of a well known racist grifter who (for decades) grabbed women by the pu**y and regarded them only by appearance. Who welcomed foreign adversary help in his campaign and threatened his competitor with jail during debate. All I saw was a stage set for disaster. For ALL of us. And it ain’t over yet. We are LIVING that dread I felt 7 years ago (you guys more than most!).
Keep writing, keep Tweeting. Whatever. It. Takes. ✌🏻