The 4chan troll factory is hard at work trying to put Donald Trump in the White House.
A new effort from the famously pro-Trump community is aimed at provoking deeper divides among fans of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The ultimate goal is to stoke flames that keep Democrats home on Election Day, paving the way for a Trump win.
“If we’re serious about a Trump presidency we need to start infiltrating their conversations in order to sow more division,” an anonymous 4chan poster said. “I’m talking systematic and long-term /mischief/, not just a hew minutes trolling dumbass [social justice warriors].”
4chan
The effort, which appears to primarily target Sanders and Clinton fans on Twitter, hopes to capitalize on news that many supporters of Sanders, a Vermont senator, say they won’t vote for former Secretary of State Clinton in November, even if she is the Democratic nominee.
The 2016 presidential campaign has produced contentious primary contests in both the Republican and Democratic races, leading many to wonder about whether either Trump or Clinton will falter on their way toward party unity.
History shows that the Democrats may yet pull together.
In June 2008, polls said 40 percent of Clinton supporters would not vote for Barack Obama in the general election after a contentious primary contest. That number shrunk dramatically in the following few months. Ultimately, Obama won nearly 80 percent of Clinton’s supporters over.
That shift came only after Clinton campaigned vigorously in support of Obama. Whether or not Sanders will do the same remains an open question.
You can view the original 4chan thread here. For posterity, we’ve archived the entire thread below.