#coppin us both shit

[aritamargarita]

ATTITUDE || 019

HELLO MY ATTITUDIANS (i thought that name was funny).

shout out to chapter 19. gotta be one of my favorite chapters,,it’s crazy how we made it to 19 already. this also has to be one of my favorite covers so far, the girlies look so nice here. please put your seatbelts on because this chapter is JUICY you thought last chapter was crazy? oh man. this chapter will also be split btw

now i can make this joke: 19 dollar fortnite card. who wants it? and yes. im giving it away.

VENGEANCE IS HERE. This is a very big night for you. It’s something you’ve been waiting for. Just to get your hands on Torrie and finish what she started.

The camera pans up on Doctor Smiley, who’s going through some of his notes.

“I know this night is very important to you. I’m glad you came. Debra gave me a call, she’s concerned you’ve been…..on a downward spiral.”

Once the camera switches towards you, the crowd cheers.

You’re not sure what he means. You’ve never felt better. “Well, I feel fine. There’s nothing wrong, from what I know of.”

Doctor Smiley simply nods, then writes something down. It’s silent for a moment, but he looks up towards you. “Plaid?”

“What about it?”

“New, isn’t it?” He questions. “If my memory serves correctly, that seems a little off from your normal attire.” It’s not much, but the jacket you’re wearing is telling him a lot. “Well, to be more modern, it’s just not your style.”

It makes a small smile grow on your face, the thought of Raven clouding your mind. You cross your legs. “A little recommendation from a friend, that’s all. Don’t you think I look nice?”

You’re reticent. He should’ve known. He also pencils this down, not answering your other question. “Right. I’m sure. Speaking of friends…how do you feel about Torrie Wilson? It’s to my understanding you two aren’t seeing eye to eye.”

What a wonderful question.

“When I think about Torrie, all I have are negative feelings.” You say. “I feeel…like I want to give her comeuppance.”

“…Would you say you want vengeance?”

“Yeah.” You nod. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

BACKSTAGE // 6:56 PM

Earlier that night, you and Torrie were going back and forth in the training center, rehearsing the match for the night. You two had a decent amount of spots, not too over the top. All you two wanted to do was to showcase your strength and hers.

Outside of a kayfabe standpoint, having a match with her made you thrilled. It reminded you of the ones you had in WCW from time to time.

It’s shaping up to be a good night. Even the other matches had you excited.

SCOTTY 2 HOTTY & ALBERT VS. CHRISTIAN AND TEST

EDGE VS. WILLIAM REGAL (INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP)

[NAME] VS. TORRIE WILSON

JEFF HARDY VS. MATT HARDY

DUDLEY BOYZ VS. KANE AND BIG SHOW (TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS)

THE UNDERTAKER VS. ROB VAN DAM (HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP)

TRISH STRATUS VS. JACQUELINE (WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP)

CHRIS JERICHO VS. THE ROCK VS. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN VS. KURT ANGLE

You plan to interfere with Matt and Jeff’s match after your own. Whether it be attacking Lita or purposely messing both men up, you’re there to cause trouble.

Truth be told, you’re going to try and fuck with everyone tonight and if anyone tries to fuck with your match, they’ve got a world full of pain coming back, tenfold.

But your match…..you’d finally show the WWF universe how happy you were. How happy that Raven finally took you under his wing, he made you his and you felt like you were apart of him.

You’ll tell the world as much as soon as you get into that ring.

Before that, Lita needed to be dealt with. You need to show her who she’s dealing with.

You want to get inside her head and most importantly, you want to worm your way inside the mind of Matt and Jeff. Those Hardy Boyz. Everyone loves them. You’d hear everyone scream for them as loud as they could whenever they’d show up.

Everyone loves Team Extreme!

You don’t.

You hate Team Extreme.

It’s clear to you that you have one brother wrapped around your finger already. The other wasn’t too easy to sway.

So before you know it, you find yourself rummaging through her suitcase like a madman. Cargo pants, crop tops…something that’ll make you look like Lita. Would fishnets top it all off?

For a moment, you considered buying a red wig so you could even mock her flaming hair. Is there enough time?

…Yes, yes there is. There’s always enough time. You’ll find a way to make it work after your match.

While you originally considered coming out to Edge’s match, you knew that wound was still fresh and you were still thinking of plans for him. It wouldn’t be fun if you did interference every match, honestly. You wanted to mix things up.

Actually, wait. It would make it even more interesting if it was fresh, wouldn’t it? Bah, you’ll think it over on the ride to the nearest costume or beauty store.

Either way, you needed to go and go quick, especially if you want your little scheme to work.

Wait! Maybe you’ll go out first. That way, no one would expect you coming out dressed as Lita later.

Yeah, that’s exactly what you’ll do! You already had something nice on, so why not just show up in all your glory? You may even help Edge win.

You just hope he’d be grateful, else, you’d have to teach him a few new things. You figure it’s good enough to make a guest appearance with the clothes you have on.

“Oooh, hey, [Name]!” Stacy’s voice comes from the door. She stands there for a moment before walking over to you with a smile. She looks nice tonight. “I’m glad you’re here. I just wanted to wish you luck tonight.”

You still feel pretty suspicious, but she’s not going out of her way to attack you or anything.

“You know, I’ve been looking for you!” She says, taking a seat on the small bench. She then focuses on zipping up one of her shoes. “Me and you have no problems! I just want you to rip her head off, okay?”

It’s nice of her to come and give you some sort of pep talk, despite how violent it sounded.

“Right. Yeah, I’ll do that.” You say, rubbing your temples.

“By the way, you look really tired, [Name]. Are you okay?” She asks. “Well, actually, how have you been? I haven’t been able to catch you backstage.”

It’s true, she hasn’t. Quite frankly you didn’t trust her at first, but she made her status clear the last time you saw her.

“I’ve been okay. I feel like myself.” It was a little true. Stacy probably doesn’t know about the Raven and Jeff situation, so you’re happy Lita kept her mouth shut, even if she didn’t know the whole thing in its entirety.

You take that back. You’re pretty sure Jeff told her…

“Alright…” Stacy gives you a smile and thankfully doesn’t press further. “When’s the next time we’re going shopping?”

“I dunno,” You shrug. “The next time I can actually see the Dutchess backstage?”

“Oh, you!” She bats her hand at you, then stands up from her spot. “I think we’re both really busy. I’m sure we’ll get around to it. There are so many things I see that remind me of you, I’m itching to dress you up!”

Of course. Her and Torrie always had a habit of putting you through rings of hell, dressing you up in what they think would fit you….

Stacy gives you a wink and you roll your eyes. She lightly hits your shoulder. “Don’t be like that. Hey, I’ll talk to you later, okay? I’m sure Bubba and D’von are looking for me. I just wanted to stop by.”

“I don’t mean to hold you back. I’ll see you later then.”

“You’re fine!” She reassured. With that bright smile of hers, she’s just about to leave the room before you call out to her.

“Wait! Do you happen to have a spare robe..?”

BACKSTAGE // 7:04 PM

This may have been the worst decision in your life, and shit, you’ve made some pretty bad decisions before.

Stacy was more than happy to loan you one of her robes. You were too afraid to question why she carried it around in her suitcase. You guess she’s ready for anything, even an impromptu swimsuit contest or something.

She didn’t know what you were up to and you’d rather keep it that way.

Your next mission is to find Chris Jericho. You had already changed into your ‘gift’ and put on a robe right over it. You’re a little ashamed to be doing this, especially with the cameras now on you, but Hunter asked for you to get it done.

You’re sure it’ll be worth it in the long run. Everything will be okay, even if you feel like you’re going to scream. Thanks to the advice from some producers, you find Jericho refilling a cup of water.

Alright, time to get your game face on.

You take a deep breath and strut on over to him. “Hey there.” You hope you don’t sound too forced, you really hate talking to him.

“Ugh, it’s you again.” He doesn’t seem happy to see you. “The hell do you want this time?” If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was about to toss that cup of water on you.

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to fight or anything..” This time, you force a smile. “I actually just wanted to talk to you alone.”

“What’s there to talk about? If you think I’m dropping out of the title match, you can kick rocks.”

You try not to let his words get to you. It takes everything in your power not to reply with a snarky remark.

“Well, for starters, I don’t want to fight with you anymore. I want to make amends.” He doesn’t seem swayed, so you do your best to turn up the charm. “You know….I’ve always really, really liked you. I just didn’t know what to say.”

He raises an eyebrow, but the smirk growing on his lips tell you that you’ve got him fooled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You nod. “Why should we fight anymore? Tonight, if you show up to my hotel room, I’ll make up for what was lost.” Almost on cue, you show him what you’re wearing under the robe and close it quickly.

God, you’re cringing so bad inside. One day you’ll look back on this segment and cry.

You give him one last smile and walk away down the hall.

The plan is in action. You’re sure Hunter will be happy you’ve done your due diligence. You’ve gotta throw some of your clothes back on now to make it for Edge’s match!

You’re so sure that he’s waiting on you. You just know him so well.

VENGEANCE // 7:15 PM

And you seem to be just in time. With the match just in its beginning, you nearly tripped on some cords as you made your way toward gorilla position.

They need to clean it up. What if you tripped and busted your head open? You wish you could submit a complaint somewhere. But then again, Mr. McMahon would probably pop a blood vessel trying to figure out who the hell did it.

The moment you step out onto stage, the crowd starts to cheer. This stage was huge. For a moment you stand up at the top, just watching the two lock up.

‘What’s [Name] doing out here?!’ JR asks.

‘Hey! Tell her to come over here!’ Jerry tries to get your attention to no avail.

JR can only shake his head. ‘I don’t think she wants to even be within 4 feet of you, King.’

The both of them really were going at it in this lockup, with Edge getting the best of Regal by shoving him into the corner. You want a closer look, so you come down the ramp.

It is only when the referee forces him off of Regal, was when you were noticed. He runs a hand through his hair, moving most of it from his face. He must’ve thought he was dreaming.

You open your arms. This was no dream. This was reality! He comes over to the ropes, staring down at you quizzically.

“I know you missed me!” You exclaim.

Edge is just about to respond but Regal comes over and smashes his forearm into his back. That was definitely your fault, but you shrug it off.

Regal was starting to take over, grabbing Edge by the hair and lifting him up. Yet again, they lock up, an aggressive show of strength from the both of them.

While they’re doing that, you skip on over to the side of the apron towards the announcer tables.

You can see Edge’s Intercontinental Championship sitting nearby, so you go ahead and grab it.

It’s a really pretty title. As are most of the WWF titles. Once you pick it up, you run your fingers along a continent, and the crowd looks at you curiously.

It’s not like you were gunning for it yet..though you wouldn’t mind if they put you in the running. Everyone seemed to like what you’re doing though.

‘You said she wouldn’t come within 4 feet of me, JR,’ King starts to say. ‘But I think you’re just jealous!’

‘She’s a nice young lady, I’ll give her that, but she’s got some sense.’ He responds.

‘If she’s got some sense, why’s she got her hands on the Intercontinental title?! Doesn’t she know it’s nearly impossible for a women to even hold it?’

‘I think you’re forgetting about someone…’

You’re too busy admiring the title to even pay attention to them and the match. Running a finger over one of the continents, it makes you notice how beautiful it was.

Then again, it seems to be a common theme with WWF titles. Whoever created the design needs some sort of raise. But not if it’s Mr. McMahon, of course.

You’re so focused on the title that you don’t even notice a baffled Edge making his way towards you.

“The hell are you doing?” He asks, lightly shaking your shoulder.

“I came to see you!” You say, a smile on your face. “Didn’t you miss me?!”

“..What?!“ You weren’t sure if he couldn’t hear you or couldn’t believe what you said. You figure it’s the former when he continues talking. “I don’t want you out here! Put the title down and go backsta—!”

Taking advantage of the situation, Regal had slid out of the ring and came over to shove Edge right into you. The both of you fall over, with Edge landing right on top of you.

It didn’t help you held the title in your hands. That fall completely knocked the wind out of you.

“That’s no way to treat a lady, now is it, you pillock?!” Regal taunts, grabbing Edge off of you and throwing him into the announcer table.

You groan in pain as you try making your way onto your knees. Now you’re angry! You finally get up to your feet and dust yourself off. You gently set the title belt onto the apron, before running over and jumping onto Regal’s back.

You can see the flashes of many cameras, but you’re too busy trying to claw his eyes out. You try to pry his hands away from his face, but he’s just not budging. You resort to try and choking him out to no avail.

‘[Name]’s jumping on the back of William Regal! What’s she doing?!’

‘Is she insane?! What’s wrong with her?!’

Edge watches this in awe. What the hell was wrong with you? He wants to pull you off and knock (figuratively, of course) some sense into you, but it seems like you’re helping him out in the long run.

You jump off of Regal’s back and allow Edge to come forward with a clothesline. That’ll teach him! They’ll probably be fighting on the outside for quite a bit.

Man, Edge knocking into you really hurt. You may have made it worse for yourself by jumping on Regal. You’re a bit sore and out of breath, leaning on the apron for leverage. It takes you a minute to recover, but when you do, you notice that Regal sends Edge flying into the ring post that’s behind you.

You quickly get the hell out of the way. That could’ve been worse…

“Watch where you’re going!!” You yell, trying to back away from the scene. And for good measure, you stick your tongue out at Regal.

Of course, he doesn’t notice, fiddling nearby the ring’s fabric skirt and shoving something into his trunks. What did he just get out of there?!

You don’t exactly want to stick your hand down there and find out…

That collision definitely left Edge out cold. Regal grabs him by the hair and throws him into the ring, a little too close by the ropes.

Once he tries to pin him, you grab his leg and set it on the rope. Thankfully, the referee didn’t see you put it there. Just in the nick of time too…

Regal gets off, glaring at you. You just smile in response. He could’ve won there..but no! You didn’t let that happen!

He tries to powerbomb Edge this time, just a little bit further from the ropes so there’s no accident like that again, and then pins him. Fortunately, Edge kicks out at two. This is really bad..

You’re not even sure if Edge can get up. The referee comes over and tries to check on him, so Regal turns away and fishes into his trunks for what he took earlier.

You can see it as clear as day! Those were brass knuckles. If he hits Edge with that, it’s night night for him! You don’t want that to happen, so you jump up onto the ring apron to catch Regal’s attention. You need to do it long enough so Edge can recover.

“Hey!” You yell. He’s a little bit of ways from you, so it’s hard to grab him…

He turns over to you curiously, then tries to ‘shoo’ you away. But then he just stops. Regal turns to look at you and crosses his arms. “Actually, I’m glad you’re up here, young lady, I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”

Now you’ve got him! You’re interested, too. What ever could it be?!

You don’t even get to ask ‘what is it?’ before he continues to speak. “You have quite the attitude problem! You don’t jump on a gentleman’s back! There are other ways to resolve your anger!”

It makes you remember that he too, was involved in Doctor Smiley’s session. Maybe you should heed his advice….?

Yeah, right! “The only way to resolve my anger is violence!” You say, jumping off of the apron. Regal waves his hand at you and turns around to be met with…A SPEAR!

Edge finally is able to get Regal down long enough to secure the win. The crowd cheers wildly as you grab his title and hold it up to him.

He takes it and you're outta there almost immediately, circling around the ring and heading up the stage ramp.

And yet again, Edge can only look at you in awe. You’re crazy, you have to be. But he can’t help but to admire you for coming to his aid.

While you blow a kiss from the ramp, he makes the motion to catch it. He’s a little starstruck.

Perhaps you haven’t burnt all your bridges after all.

VENGEANCE // 7:34 PM

You don't even have time to feel tired tonight. With your match being right before Jeff & Matt's, you feel like you're going to be on your feet all night. Perhaps you'll get a break before the Undisputed Championship match..

You’ve already changed into your ring gear, so now you’re waiting for Raven. Normally, you’d feel calm when it comes to matches, but with him being there, it just made you all the more antsy.

“You’re shaking.”

Your head immediately turns to Raven, who had walked up to you with his hands in his pockets. It took everything in you not to run and jump on him. “I’m just a little nervous.” You reply, crossing your arms.

He doesn’t say anything at first. “You’ll be fine, babe. Don’t worry about it.” The smirk that starts to play on his face tells half a story.

You’re almost thrown for a loop when he uses a pet name. You’re sure he was just testing it out, but it feels like you have butterflies in your stomach.

“By the way, I’ve been thinking.” He continues. “You and I were in WCW, yet you’ve never spared me a glance. Why?”

You think about it for a minute. Creative in WCW never really let you stray too far from what you’re doing, despite it being a little messy. “I don’t know. The writers over there didn’t even know what they’re doing. Look at the bright side though, I’m here with you now!”

You outstretch your arms. He stares at you for a moment. You almost think he won’t hug you, yet he comes over and wraps his arms around you.

“…I want you to prove your loyalty to me.” He says.

You tilt your head. “How?” Anything he asked, you’re willing to do.

Raven detaches from you and sets his hands in your shoulders. “There’s certain people you must get rid of. They pose a threat to not only myself, but our….” He trails off. You get what he means.

You don’t want anyone to get in the way of your relationship with Raven. Not now, not ever.

“The first person is Jeff Hardy. Once a contender for the Hardcore title…..turned nuisance to the WWF. Even worse, a nuisance for us, [Name].”

You just nod your head with a smile. Whatever he says, goes. Was Jeff really the problem?

Before he can continue on, someone from production comes over to you two. “You’re on, [Name]. Get out there.” Now you can hear your muffled music echoing over the arena.

Both of you were a little startled, but put your game faces on and head through that curtain. The adrenaline is running through your veins all over again once you’re met with the crowd.

The bell rings three times and Lillian is in the ring, ready to announce. “Ladies and Gentleman, this is a match set for one fall. Making her way to the ring, accompanied by Raven, [Name]!!”

You two walk out to stand on stage. Before you continue to walk down the ramp, Raven holds out his hand. You look at him in bewilderment, but it turns into a smile as you entwine your fingers with his. You’re thrilled he even let you hold it.

‘That Jezebel’s holding Raven’s hand!’ JR exclaims. ‘She seems to be just about anywhere lately. What’s going on in that head of hers?!’

‘I told ya JR, that mental hospital will be opening as soon as we kind find those scattered loose screws of hers!’ King says. ‘And let’s put Raven in there too! Ha!’

The both of you make it to the ring. You opt to take the steps as Raven climbs onto the apron and opens the ropes for you.

You feel elated. It’s a small gesture, but it means a lot to you nonetheless. Once you get in, you walk over and motion for a mic to speak.

Raven shuffles over to sit in the corner in the meanwhile.

“…All I have to say is one thing. The day I’ve walked into the WWF, everyone wanted to know about me..but I feel like everyone liked the thought of me.” You pause for a minute, trying to gather your words. “No one saw through me like Raven did. I can feel his pain and he can feel mine.”

You throw your mic to the side (giving it a tiny kick so it can reach the edge). Torrie’s music starts to play and you walk over to Raven’s corner to sit right in between his legs.

He’s actually pretty warm. It’s also a pretty comfortable spot. You turn your head over to the front as Torrie begins to make her way to the ring.

“Making her way to the ring from, Torrie Wilson!”

You have to admit, what she’s wearing is kind of cute. The color pink really suits her. Of course, you’d never say that out loud. You’re just ready to wrestle her.

Raven nudges you slightly, and with a whispered “good luck”, he moves away and gets out of the ring to spectate.

You stand up from your spot. Things are finally starting to heat up. The crowd is a little bit anxious.

On one hand, they hope you don’t punish Torrie too much. Then on the other hand, they hope you can get your revenge. If they’re lucky enough, maybe they’ll get some clothing shed!

Not! You don’t want any wardrobe malfunctions or any ripping of clothes tonight. This is supposed to be a serious match.

The bell rung again and you two walk around in circles. You two weren’t friends right now. You were sworn enemies, nothing less, nothing more. Torrie put herself in this spot, so you were going to make sure she regret it.

It hurts you more than anything to have to fight an old friend, but in order to get your message through her thick skull, you didn’t have a choice.

You don’t want to disappoint Raven. In fact, you just wanted to impress him. Show him you could do this. That you live up to whatever hype there is.

When Torrie tackled you down almost effortlessly, that was when you knew your head needed to be in the game. There definitely was animosity behind her hits, but rest assured there will be animosity behind yours too.

…You’re gonna be honest. Torrie is as green as grass. She always has been. Nothing wrong with that, it just makes it a little harder to carry her through the match. She wasn’t alone though, Stacy (although you technically haven’t wrestled her directly) seemed pretty green too.

You can’t help but to laugh. One time, Lita referred to those two as ‘the blondies’, notoriously known for being quite new and not knowing what’s going on.

She trashed them so bad that night, then told you that you’re the only one that could really wrestle. It was sweet, but you felt kinda bad she wasn’t fond of Torrie and Stacy.

You roll over her and start hitting her back, getting your quick just desserts.

Getting off, you stare at her as she sets her hand on the ropes in an effort to recover. Torrie takes a good look at you, her eyes narrowing once she sees you laughing.

Before she could fully get up, you come over to grab a fistful of blonde hair before slamming her right back to the mat. You’re not quite done with her yet. This is only the first stage of pain you’ll put her through tonight!

You saw a wrestler do this move a very long time ago, but you can’t remember their name for some reason. You put one foot on each side of her head and step on her hair, then lift her arms up.

The referee starts to yell at you to “let go” and to “watch the hair”.

You eventually let up, Torrie writhing around on the mat in pain. You come over and lift her face up. “C’mon, Torrie!“ You scream, slapping her for good measure. “That all you got?! Get up!”

You decide to force her to stand up, grabbing her and lifting her from the ground. She’s able to shove her forearm into your stomach, causing you to keel over.

Torrie really did get up. She grabs your hair and slams you down to the mat. It’s her turn to be in charge and she’s going to try and lay down the law.

She squishes your face closer to the canvas and uses your hair to roughly scrub it across. “You’re horrible!” She screamed. “Do you see what I have to do to you!? This is your fault!”

Torrie finally lets go of you so you can breathe for a second. The referee is chewing her out for this move, so she starts to argue with him. You slowly recover off of the ground, and since you don’t think you have enough time to get up, you use your foot in order to kick her in the shin.

She crashes down immediately, holding onto her shin.

While she’s down, you turn your head towards the front, Raven’s watching intently. Once you start to fully stand up, you can see him duck down for some reason.

But it wasn’t his fault. He was completely blindsided by someone with multi-colored hair. This person knocks him to the ground and starts laying into him with punches.

Oh no. No, no, no…

This can’t be happening.

‘Jeff Hardy has just attacked Raven!’ JR exclaimed. ‘What is going on here?!’

You don’t even know what to do. You grip the ropes, just about to abandon the match, but before you know it, Torrie’s had taken advantage. She rolls you up and then….one, two, three. You kicked out far too late.

No fucking way.

Did that really just happen?! Torrie can’t believe that happened either. Before she starts to celebrate her victory, you immediately tackle her to the ground to try and choke her out.

The referee has to pull you off of her, but you couldn’t care less. You’ll handle her right after you try and break up the fight THAT WAS STILL HAPPENING AT THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING.

You slide out of the ring in and run over towards them, doing your best to pull off the assailant to no avail.

“STOP IT! Stop!” You scream. You’re doing your best to get in between them….to no avail. Raven’s able to get up off the floor and starts punching Jeff back. They’re squabbling and you’re panicking.

This isn’t supposed to happen. Why did Jeff do that?! He didn’t even give poor Raven a chance to fight! At least he’s getting his hits in now..

Some referees have to come from the back and attempt to pull the men away from each other.

The rowdy crowd is looking on, cheering at the sight. One of the referees have to tell you to back away so you don’t get hit, so you do.

Aaaand you’re bleeding.

Oops, you may be mistaken. You’re pretty sure one of them is bleeding, but you can’t tell who. With the referees crowding around them, it’s hard to discern who it was. All you can see is some blood smeared on your arm and hand.

You simply walk away and reach under the ring to yank out a kendo stick. Torrie’s still sputtering in the ring, and with most of the referee’s attention on settling the two men, you come back into the ring for a little bit extra.

You absolutely fucking hated how this finished! This was growing increasingly stressful, so you had to deploy the cure.

Violence!

For now, you toss the kendo stick to the side. You get down and pull Torrie’s arm right under your leg, getting into position for a Yes Lock. But it’s not any old submission.

You take the kendo stick and pull it under her neck. She flails under you, so you try and lighten the hold just a little bit so she wouldn’t be too hurt later. You try to be nice, sometimes.

There’s so much going on inside and outside of the ring, no one even knows where to focus.

One of the referee’s finally notice what you’re doing. “Hey! HEY!!!” He yells, coming back in. He forces you to release your hold on Torrie and she continues to cough, trying to gasp for more air.

….You definitely lied. You’re not excited for tonight at all.

You’re not in a good mood anymore.

Y’ALL KNOW I HAD TO FLIP THA SCRIPTT. we originally were gonna win but i said NAHHH. jeff just fucked everything up. this is important heehee.

i need a goddamn cigarette after this. hope you guys saw a slight golden reference, golden!reader does the hair mare /pull thing lol it’s like HER MOVE

regarding jeff and raven. THIS IS INTENSE. THIS IS REALLY INTENSE. ALL IM THINKIN ABT RIGHT NOW IS A 12 POUND BAG OF SEAFOOD BOIL. SPICY. who ready for the matt vs jeff & undisputed championship match thooo??????

[souyaszn]

i just realized i’m ginger headed rn… shoyo and i are basically the same person

[boyinatown]

22 vision coppin us both shit bitch we twinnem,..

[iamyoubutcuter]

2020 vision city girls winnin coppin us both shit bitch WE TWINNINNN

photo by @ts1mp0ne

[strawberry-creep]

20/20 vision

city girls winnin

coppin us both shit

bitch we ✨twinnin✨

[sunfyresrider]

2020 Vision

Side bitch winning

Coppin us both shit

bitch, WE TWINNIN

[gayerthanevertbh]

Me and you relating on our dominating men mindsets

20/20 vision🤓

City girls winnin 🎖️

Coppin us both shit ✨

Bitch we twinning😝😝😝

NOT THIS AUDIO HELP??? 😭 BUT REAAAL!!

[cakejerry]

Don't know if you See but jm went to support th, I wonder how can he be so selfless wish I could be like him bc I wouldn't move a finger for someone who clearly has beef with

ANON THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME AHHHHHHH 2020 VISION SIDE BITCH WINNING COPPIN’ US BOTH SHIT BITCH, WE VMINNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[makotoscoffee]

20/20 vision, city girls winnin, coppin us both shit, bitch we twinnin🥰

[writingpostmidnight]

TV Show Tag

thanks for taggin me @waterberry-strawmelon 🥰

Rules: Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. Tag 5 people.

realizing rn that i don’t watch a lot of tv shows???? i’ve been real into various youtubers lately & not watching actual tv

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The Umbrella Academy

The Good Place

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Disjointed (🤷‍♂️)

Who is your favorite character in 2?

i’m a simple gay. it’s klaus for sure. i mean come on.

Who is your favorite character 1?

data! he’s the reason i got into the show when i was a kid, and i still have a huge attachment to him. i see a lot of parallels in his “android trying to be human” plot and my experience as a trans person and as a mentally ill & neurodivergent kid.

What is your favorite episode of 4?

ooo okay this is hard ?? i do really like the coral palms episodes where jake & holt are in witness protection and being bc they’re dynamic is def my favorite of the entire cast. i also love almost all the doug judy episodes (except the most recent one ugh cops still be coppin).

overall though, i’d have to say season 5 Ep 9: “99.” we got rosa being confirmed bi. we got road trip content. we the squad supporting holt. good shit.

(also controversial opinion alert? i don’t like the last few seasons’ halloween heist episodes that much. i’m a Sensitive Babey and i just want them to be nice to each other. plus the way they get during the recent heists just feels kind of ooc to me?? idk)

What is your favorite season of 5?

Disjointed only has 2 seasons (or “parts” as they’re called on netflix) with ten episodes each 😔. i guess the first season, but there’s no dramatic shift in quality or whatever. the second season puts a lot more focus on romantic relationships and a realer plot & it’s fun, but i’m really just in it for the found family stoners & dumb little gags sjkssj.

Who is your favorite couple in 3?

chidi and eleanor. it’s the obvious choice, but i’m not exaggerating when i say that their romance completely changed the way that i viewed love, soulmates, and fate. before this how i used to believe hardcore in soulmates (not to knock anyone who does, i’m not the authority on the universe jsksjdks).

but chidi realizing that soulmates don’t exist in the good place when he spent his entire life wishing for one perfect person, and choosing to be with eleanor because he grew to be deeply in love with her was just *chef kiss.*

it made me realize that there’s something insanely romantic about just choosing to be with someone. maybe i didn’t know them in past lives long forgotten. maybe they aren’t a part of some cosmic plan. maybe it’s even lovelier that i’ve gotten to meet someone, to get to know them, to get close to them, to fall in love, to try, to choose them, to make them my soulmate. i’m rambling on i just loved that the good place explored that idea.

Who is your favorite couple in 2?

dave & klaus, obvi. klaus deserves l o v e

What is your favorite episode of 1?

oh there’s wayyy too many good episodes for me to figure out my absolute fave. i love love every data-centric episode tho. i also love the episodes where they time travel jdksks.

What is your favorite episode of 5?

i’d say part 1 ep 3 “rutherford b haze” (yeah this show’s about as intelligent as the ep titles would suggest). the gags and jokes in this one one crack me up tbh.

it does have a weird ‘did u just assume my gender’ seeming joke at the beginning that annoys me, but it has some trans rights jokes in other episodes so i can ignore it.

the commercial gags alway SEND me, & they’re real good in this episode.

What is your favorite season of 2?

there’s only one season out 😔

How long have you watched 1?

my family are all big fans of star trek, so i watched episodes here and there growing up, and i think i binged it in its entirety the summer after i turned eleven. i’ve rewatched it a Lot since then tho shdjshd

How did you become interested in 3?

everyone was hyped for it on tumblr, it was by micheal schur of parks n rec and b99, so made myself sit through the pilot, and then i was hooked. (actually i got bored halfway through the pilot and came back three weeks later when i finished binging b99 again and then i was hooked.)

Who is your favorite actor in 4?

andy samberg hands down. i mean come on. i think half of my sense of humor comes from watching him on SNL and thelonelyisland’s youtube channel as a kid. he’s hilarious.

Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

TNG. it’s a big comfort show. it’s interesting & immersive enough to distract, but fun enough that it’s not stressful.

Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3?

i’ve seen all the episodes for both! i’ve definitely rewatched TNG more tho.

If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Gina because she’s not a cop jeksjsnsksn.

Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

imagine: jake peralta, rosa diaz, captain holt, amy santiago, etc., all arrive to the afterlife neighborhoods so they can confront their moral failing of being cops and ascend to the good place 😍 BDBSNSN

Pair two characters in 1. Who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

honestly let geordi and data date. cowards.

Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

JDKSKSK THE GOOD PLACE BY A LONG SHOT. the good place gave me a spiritual, moral, emotional, and existential crisis. disjointed made me laugh when i was high. i love them both.

Which has better theme music, 2 or 4?

ugh. b99’s theme annoys me. so much brass. not a brass fan. uhh i think the umbrella academy’s theme is mostly strings and i like strings. also, tua has the best soundtrack jshdjsbd bops.

mkay i’ll tag: @winter-soltis @thelittlestspider @history-be-written @jorzuela @minniemao (ignore if u wanna)

[sidyseed]

Mad Vibes - Riches To Rags

Man promoted for the job he did on the streets of the H2O where the pushers sell the drugs that the government allows into their country and then they do time. Get caught with a nigga bag brother man get caught with a nigga bag says the lady on your way to get yo hair fixed. You'll do Big Ben, Big Ben is time. Yo This recognition to God Bodies on inner city streets that fell and hit the curb hard massively. Elevated to the top but started at the bottom Maintained position while an even core starvin Became a victim to a substance that you pushed on block Now your life is off the hook and you mo hot rocks You grew up without any guidence at home Ya moms is always so drunk so you were able to roam At the age of 13 you entered the drug scene And then dropped outta high school at the age of 15 At the age of 18 planting your seed in ya earth Allah blessed you both with a beautiful birth But this birth had to be fair without a neglect And without an education you can't get no respect Searchin for employment nothin but disappointment So you went for nothin and got your own employment On the streets you accumalating green for your seed And inherited material for nessecity needs Blew the spot had workers at a normal shore block From north main to south main The h2o was mad hot You even shorted brothers for their tatts and their crops Even words you said prices was high on the stock But on the L you was puffin up fools and fell into relm later on it would be easy to tell The truth no doubt it was all going down the hill Empire you had grew was on its way to the ground Cause of a night you introduced ya mouth piece to the pipe And took your life into a relm where it was hard to see light yo From riches to rags From dime pieces to crabs from Puffin lot smokin to coppin crack on the ave This change of life be a reflection of a physical that fell and the man owed to the depths of hell Once a playa but now you stand all played out The latest dope crackhead dealer the rumors be about God bless I know your days are filled with enough stress But on your journey never ceases to hold down your backs I'm writin rhymes for the ghetto dwellers buildin the cellers Fat concepts as steps for the story tellers Preparin rhymes narcrotic on the block mad hot Watch your back black or get back to the plot What you thought it couldn't happen ya better rise up Fore the undertaker be sizin ya up But really it doesn't matter when ya from son You could be a big dick nigga still get done See ya round my way Niggas act mad trife Playin Russian Roulette with the next mans life Games a situation similar to Vietnam Not a day goes by where the night seems calm I used to lay in my rest with a bag of boodabless Gettin set, not a times occuppy with stress Shit is a mess I used to run games but niggas that change like the weather Now I sit strange brothers love faka than pleatha But I still got love for my niggas no doubt no doubt Even though I can't figure out these actions out So watch the love son watch the love (bruh) for you and ya crew Be rest and above Now my man wanna front big town on the regula Out in public place talkin on the cellula You gotta dip let us put ya whip on the jewels flyin in now she took you on a trip The same elsewhere but you couldn't see clear Now the next man's pushin up from the rear He got ya jewels He got ya dip pushed in ya whip but You couldn't see nothin So you got stripped of material things mad cash You kept the stash and was blottin on the table where Ya ass will crash or be ass out A no name heard with no clout You're a pussy for the loot Yes we'll see what it's about Yo From riches to rags From dime pieces to crabs from Puffin lot smokin to coppin crack on the ave This change of life be a reflection of a physical that fell and the man owed to the depths of hell Once a playa but now you stand all played out The latest dope crackhead dealer the rumors be about God bless I know your days are filled with enough stress But on your journey never ceases to hold down your backs Man promoted for the job he did on the streets of the H2O where the pushers sell the drugs that the government allows into their country and then they do time. Get caught with a nigga bag brother man get caught with a nigga bag says the lady on your way to get yo hair fixed. You'll do Big Ben, Big Ben is time.

[waveridden]

FIC: you’ll always be my happy ending

A love story, told through articles, transcripts, tweets, and a very popular song. Parker/Cib, celebrity AU, 1.8k.

AUcember || title lyric || Ao3

#

1. Article from Teen Vogue, Dec. 2017 issue

Fast Five: Things You Need to Know about Cib by R. Scully

Clayton James, better known as Cib, put out one of the biggest alt-pop records of the year with Songs From Every Coast. His meandering lyrics, smooth vocals, and surprising production have earned him fans around the world. He’s also notoriously private, but we here at Teen Vogue sat down with him to get five must-know facts.

Yes, he’s like that in real life. (Sort of.) It’s been a big debate between fans whether his stage persona - kind of a goof, an idiot but in a fun way - is an act or actually who he is. But he says the truth is somewhere in the middle. “I can do basic things,” Cib says, “but I think anyone who says they’re totally competent is either lying on purpose or just wrong. Like, haven’t we all microwaved silverware before? We all make mistakes, I just play them up on stage.”

His first guitar was named Sheila. “Not for any reason, I think I was going through an Australia phase. You know, the Australia phase that every kid goes through. I thought it’d be cool.” His current guitars? Annie, Melanie, Sally, and one that he says is a secret.

He hated riding bikes as a kid. “I do it all the time now,” he laughs, “but when I was a kid? Nah, dude, I fell off constantly. Crashed it more than once My balance was s***. I’m way more coordinated now. I think it’s all the choreography.”

The headband started as a joke. If you’ve seen more people wearing headbands lately, that’s no accident: that’s Cib’s brand. But he says the brand was a total accident. “My friend Steve bet me I wouldn’t,” he says, “and all it takes is one or two photoshoots, a couple of paparazzos, and bam, you have a brand.” Lucky for him, he didn’t mind leaning into it: “I think it’s a good look, don’t you?”

Mr. Mcghghy is real, and he’s not who you think he is. Easily the most popular song off Songs From Every Coast, “Dear Mr. Mcghghy” sparked waves of speculation in fans. The song is obviously a love song, written to someone who’s only ever called Mr. Mcghghy. And who is he? “Someone I was friends with as a kid,” Cib says. “We had nonsense nicknames for each other, and his was Mr. Mcghghy. He was definitely my first crush, looking back, but I don’t really know where he is these days.” And what was his childhood nonsense name? “Aw, dude, it was Cib. Of course.”

#

2. Excerpt from Song Exploder, episode: Cib - Dear Mr. Mcghghy

“Okay, first of all, because I know everyone’s asking about it: yes, Mr. Mcghghy is real, but I don’t remember his real name. When I was younger, I used to spend my summers visiting family in North Carolina - it was actually a big inspiration for this album as a whole. When I say it’s from every coast, you know, I mean it’s from every coast. East, west, Canadian, American, it’s all in here.

“But I used to go down to North Carolina for a month every year, and there was this kid who lived down the street from my family. He was a couple years older than me, and I don’t remember a lot about him, because we were kids, and kids don’t know how to pay attention to shit that’s going to be important. But he was a little older, had curly hair, and was totally okay with bratty little me dragging him on adventures all over his city. He said he’d seen it all before, but I was seeing new things, and that was part of the song.

“The nicknames just came out of nowhere. We picked our own, although I think one of my cousins had already been calling me Cib. I don’t remember why he picked Mcghghy, but he was always really, really specific about how it was spelled. I made up a song to help me remember, and you can actually hear that melody in the background of the chorus…”

#

3. Interview with The Sami Jo Show on iHeartRadio (Dec. 8, 2017)

SJ: Okay, okay, so here’s the question on everyone’s mind.

C: You sure about that?

SJ: It’s on my mind, and I think it’s a thing a lot of people are curious about. What’s your favorite song off your album?

C: Oh, f***- wait, s***, I can’t say that on air, can I?

SJ: I mean, you can say it. The people won’t hear it.

C: Good to know. I mean, I can’t pick, right? They’re all my favorite. I put a lot of time into every one of them.

SJ: Top three?

C: God, that’s still so hard! Uh, Gold Rush, because it’s f***ing catchy as all hell. Does hell get bleeped out?

SJ: Nope. Don’t kids listen to your music?

C: I mean, I say f*** on their album. I think I’m single-handedly responsible for a lot of parents teaching their kids about swear words.

SJ: Like many great artists before you.

C: And some not-so-great ones too.

SJ: Of course. So, come on, top three.

C: S***! Um… I Don’t Mind? And then Dear Mr. Mcghghy.

SJ: Oh, I was hoping you’d bring that one up. Because, as a lot of people know, Mr. Mcghghy is a real person.

C: Yeah, he is.

SJ: And you don’t know who he is?

C: I don’t know! And a lot of people think that I’m lying when I say that, that I’m just trying to protect his privacy. A few people think we’re actually secretly married - we’re not, by the way. I legit don’t know where this guy is, or what he’s up to anymore.

SJ: Do you think he’s heard the song?

C: I think it’d be hard not to, it’s kind of popular. Ugh, humble brag, gross.

SJ: And do you think he knows it’s about him?

C: Maybe! Never say never. Mr. Mcghghy, if you’re out there, hit me up. We can get coffee.

SJ: [laughing] And you can tell Cib your real last name.

C: Please! Please, god, so many people spell it wrong, your last name has to be easier to spell than Mcghghy.

SJ: What if it’s not?

C: Don’t- don’t jinx it! [laughing] Don’t cast your last name magic, Siedband!

SJ: Whoa, hold on, let’s not bring my last name into this, I haven’t done anything wrong?

C: Haven’t you? [Sami Jo laughs] Haven’t you?

#

4. A tweet from Cib (@maybeCIB) on Twitter, with replies

Clayton James @maybeCIB kinda miss North Carolina but now I’m old enough to know better

Andrea Whatt @piecesofwhatt Replying to @maybeCIB :( but what if Mr. Mcghghy is waiting for you there?!

evan @evannumbers Replying to @maybeCIB never come back to this state

Tiara, throwing sparkles @theycallmera Replying to @maybeCIB Nooooo most of NC is fine, we swear!

Parker Coppins @pcoppins Replying to @maybeCIB Did you write a song about me?

#

5. Direct Messages between @maybeCIB and @pcoppins

@maybeCIB: Dude

@maybeCIB: I think I might’ve?

@pcoppins: I think you might’ve too

@maybeCIB: how can we confirm

@pcoppins: Uh

@pcoppins: Every year you insisted on eating a ton of saltwater taffy even though you thought it was gross because you thought it’d make it easier for you to open your eyes in saltwater

@maybeCIB: Oh my god

@maybeCIB: it’s you?

@pcoppins: It’s me

@maybeCIB: no way

@maybeCIB: how’ve you been dude

@pcoppins: You keep saying my hair is curly

@maybeCIB: is it not curly anymore??

@pcoppins: No it’s definitely curly I just want to know why that matters so much

@maybeCIB: I don’t think it does

@maybeCIB: it’s just sort of whimsical

@maybeCIB: kind of my brand

@pcoppins: It always was when we were kids too

@maybeCIB: okay so

@maybeCIB: Coppins?

@pcoppins: I can’t believe you actually forgot my last name

@maybeCIB: well what did you remember about me??

@pcoppins: Apparently more than you remembered about me

@maybeCIB: well yeah that’s not hard

@maybeCIB: also sorry for, like, writing a love song about you when I haven’t seen you since I was eleven

@pcoppins: no it’s okay

@pcoppins: it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it was about me

@maybeCIB: don’t tell me you forgot about mcghghy?

@pcoppins: Oh I remembered it I just thought it was a coincidence

@maybeCIB: really

@pcoppins: Yeah

@pcoppins: And then I heard your Song Exploder

@maybeCIB: oh my god

@pcoppins: Also for the record

@pcoppins: I live in LA now

@maybeCIB: Iiiiinteresting

@pcoppins: so you don’t have to come to NC to see me

@maybeCIB: hey so can I get your number

@maybeCIB: we should do coffee sometime

@maybeCIB: but like, nowhere obvious, because I do have fans who will drag you into a spotlight if they think you’re Mr. Mcghghy

@pcoppins: but I am

@maybeCIB: dude trust me it’d be better to save that for later

#

6. Excerpt from Star Magazine’s gossip section

MEETING MR. MCGHGHY?: Self-proclaimed “weird pop” singer CIB was spotted in L.A. this past weekend in a coffee shop with a mystery man. He’s tall, curly-haired, and as the song to Cib’s hit “Dear Mr. Mcghghy” goes, he has a starlight smile. Could this be the man who stole America’s collective hearts?

#

7. Cib’s acceptance speech for Favorite Breakout Artist, at the People’s Choice Awards

[Cib, standing in front of the podium, clears his throat and looks at a camera operator.]

“Whoa, oh my god, how much time do I have? ...ohhh, that’s not enough. Not enough. I want to say thanks to my family, to my parents, because when I said “Mom, Dad, I think I want to do music,” they both sort of went “yeah, sounds okay.” Thank you to Steve, who learned all sorts of weird music stuff and figured out how to explain it to me. Thank you to my label, thank you to my producers and co-writers and graphic designers. I don’t think most people realize what a team effort it is to make an album, but it involves so many people, and if I could name you all I would, but-”

[The orchestra begins to play, signifying time running out.]

“Ah! Ah, okay, last things, I want to thank the people, for voting for this, you did that on purpose and that’s so crazy. Thank you to all my fans, to every radio station who ever played one of my songs. And thank you to Parker, the best accidental muse I could ever have. Love you, man. Let’s go Broilers!”

[The orchestra music swells. Cib goes back to his seat, and a camera follows him. On the television broadcast, a voiceover announces what will be coming after the commercial break. Just before the feed fades out, Cib reaches his seat. A tall man with curly hair jumps out of his seat, smiling widely, and Cib reaches up, pulls his head in, and kisses him.]

[bountyofbeads]

I am posting a series of articles on the misinformation campaign being waged by the Trump campaign and other nafarious actors including Russia, Iran and China..Its important we recognize, educate and share this information ahead of the 2020 election. The misinformation is 20 fold to the misinformation campaign waged in 2016. WE MUST DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP FOR THE SAKE OF OUR DEMOCRACY. PLEASE SHARE!!! TY🙏🏻🙏🙏🏼🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿

THE BILLION-DOLLAR DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO REELECT THE PRESIDENT..... How new technologies and techniques pioneered by dictators will shape the 2020 Election

By McKay Coppins | Published MARCH 2020 Issue | The Atlantic Magazine | Posted February 13, 2020 |

(**Updated at 2:30 p.m. ET on February 10, 2020.)

(PART 1 /2)

One day last fall, I sat down to create a new Facebook account. I picked a forgettable name, snapped a profile pic with my face obscured, and clicked “Like” on the official pages of Donald Trump and his reelection campaign. Facebook’s algorithm prodded me to follow Ann Coulter, Fox Business, and a variety of fan pages with names like “In Trump We Trust.” I complied. I also gave my cellphone number to the Trump campaign, and joined a handful of private Facebook groups for MAGA diehards, one of which required an application that seemed designed to screen out interlopers.

The president’s reelection campaign was then in the midst of a multimillion-dollar ad blitz aimed at shaping Americans’ understanding of the recently launched impeachment proceedings. Thousands of micro-targeted ads had flooded the internet, portraying Trump as a heroic reformer cracking down on foreign corruption while Democrats plotted a coup. That this narrative bore little resemblance to reality seemed only to accelerate its spread. Right-wing websites amplified every claim. Pro-Trump forums teemed with conspiracy theories. An alternate information ecosystem was taking shape around the biggest news story in the country, and I wanted to see it from the inside.

The story that unfurled in my Facebook feed over the next several weeks was, at times, disorienting. There were days when I would watch, live on TV, an impeachment hearing filled with damning testimony about the president’s conduct, only to look at my phone later and find a slickly edited video—served up by the Trump campaign—that used out-of-context clips to recast the same testimony as an exoneration. Wait, I caught myself wondering more than once, is that what happened today?

As I swiped at my phone, a stream of pro-Trump propaganda filled the screen: “That’s right, the whistleblower’s own lawyer said, ‘The coup has started …’ ” Swipe. “Democrats are doing Putin’s bidding …” Swipe. “The only message these radical socialists and extremists will understand is a crushing …” Swipe. “Only one man can stop this chaos …” Swipe, swipe, swipe.

I was surprised by the effect it had on me. I’d assumed that my skepticism and media literacy would inoculate me against such distortions. But I soon found myself reflexively questioning  every headline. It wasn’t that I believed Trump and his boosters were telling the truth. It was that, in this state of heightened suspicion, truth itself—about Ukraine, impeachment, or anything else—felt more and more difficult to locate. With each swipe, the notion of observable reality drifted further out of reach.

What I was seeing was a strategy that has been deployed by illiberal political leaders around the world. Rather than shutting down dissenting voices, these leaders have learned to harness the democratizing power of social media for their own purposes—jamming the signals, sowing confusion. They no longer need to silence the dissident shouting in the streets; they can use a megaphone to drown him out. Scholars have a name for this: censorship through noise.

After the 2016 election, much was made of the threats posed to American democracy by foreign disinformation. Stories of Russian troll farms and Macedonian fake-news mills loomed in the national imagination. But while these shadowy outside forces preoccupied politicians and journalists, Trump and his domestic allies were beginning to adopt the same tactics of information warfare that have kept the world’s demagogues and strongmen in power.

Every presidential campaign sees its share of spin and misdirection, but this year’s contest promises to be different. In conversations with political strategists and other experts, a dystopian picture of the general election comes into view—one shaped by coordinated bot attacks, Potemkin local-news sites, micro-targeted fearmongering, and anonymous mass texting. Both parties will have these tools at their disposal. But in the hands of a president who lies constantly, who traffics in conspiracy theories, and who readily manipulates the levers of government for his own gain, their potential to wreak havoc is enormous.

The Trump campaign is planning to spend more than $1 billion, and it will be aided by a vast coalition of partisan media, outside political groups, and enterprising freelance operatives. These pro-Trump forces are poised to wage what could be the most extensive disinformation campaign in U.S. history. Whether or not it succeeds in reelecting the president, the wreckage it leaves behind could be irreparable.

'THE DEATH STAR'

The campaign is run from the 14th floor of a gleaming, modern office tower in Rosslyn, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. Glass-walled conference rooms look out on the Potomac River. Rows of sleek monitors line the main office space. Unlike the bootstrap operation that first got Trump elected—with its motley band of B-teamers toiling in an unfinished space in Trump Tower—his 2020 enterprise is heavily funded, technologically sophisticated, and staffed with dozens of experienced operatives. One Republican strategist referred to it, admiringly, as “the Death Star.”

Presiding over this effort is Brad Parscale, a 6-foot-8 Viking of a man with a shaved head and a triangular beard. As the digital director of Trump’s 2016 campaign, Parscale didn’t become a household name like Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway. But he played a crucial role in delivering Trump to the Oval Office—and his efforts will shape this year’s election.

In speeches and interviews, Parscale likes to tell his life story as a tidy rags-to-riches tale, embroidered with Trumpian embellishments. He grew up a simple “farm boy from Kansas” (read: son of an affluent lawyer from suburban Topeka) who managed to graduate from an “Ivy League” school (Trinity University, in San Antonio). After college, he went to work for a software company in California, only to watch the business collapse in the economic aftermath of 9/11 (not to mention allegations in a lawsuit that he and his parents, who owned the business, had illegally transferred company funds—claims that they disputed). Broke and desperate, Parscale took his “last $500” (not counting the value of three rental properties he owned) and used it to start a one-man web-design business in Texas.

Parscale Media was, by most accounts, a scrappy endeavor at the outset. Hustling to drum up clients, Parscale cold-pitched shoppers in the tech aisle of a Borders bookstore. Over time, he built enough websites for plumbers and gun shops that bigger clients took notice—including the Trump Organization. In 2011, Parscale was invited to bid on designing a website for Trump International Realty. An ardent fan of The Apprentice, he offered to do the job for $10,000, a fraction of the actual cost. “I just made up a price,” he later told The Washington Post. “I recognized that I was a nobody in San Antonio, but working for the Trumps would be everything.” The contract was his, and a lucrative relationship was born.

Over the next four years, he was hired to design websites for a range of Trump ventures—a winery, a skin-care line, and then a presidential campaign. By late 2015, Parscale—a man with no discernible politics, let alone campaign experience—was running the Republican front-runner’s digital operation from his personal laptop.

Parscale slid comfortably into Trump’s orbit. Not only was he cheap and unpretentious—with no hint of the savvier-than-thou smugness that characterized other political operatives—but he seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder that matched the candidate’s. “Brad was one of those people who wanted to prove the establishment wrong and show the world what he was made of,” says a former colleague from the campaign.

Perhaps most important, he seemed to have no reservations about the kind of campaign Trump wanted to run. The race-baiting, the immigrant-bashing, the truth-bending—none of it seemed to bother Parscale. While some Republicans wrung their hands over Trump’s inflammatory messages, Parscale came up with ideas to more effectively disseminate them.

The campaign had little interest at first in cutting-edge ad technology, and for a while, Parscale’s most valued contribution was the merchandise page he built to sell MAGA hats. But that changed in the general election. Outgunned on the airwaves and lagging badly in fundraising, campaign officials turned to Google and Facebook, where ads were inexpensive and shock value was rewarded. As the campaign poured tens of millions into online advertising—amplifying themes such as Hillary Clinton’s criminality and the threat of radical Islamic terrorism—Parscale’s team, which was christened Project Alamo, grew to 100.

Parscale was generally well liked by his colleagues, who recall him as competent and intensely focused. “He was a get-shit-done type of person,” says A. J. Delgado, who worked with him. Perhaps just as important, he had a talent for ingratiating himself with the Trump family. “He was probably better at managing up,” Kurt Luidhardt, a consultant for the campaign, told me. He made sure to share credit for his work with the candidate’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and he excelled at using Trump’s digital ignorance to flatter him. “Parscale would come in and tell Trump he didn’t need to listen to the polls, because he’d crunched his data and they were going to win by six points,” one former campaign staffer told me. “I was like, ‘Come on, man, don’t bullshit a bullshitter.’ ” But Trump seemed to buy it. (Parscale declined to be interviewed for this story.)

James Barnes, a Facebook employee who was dispatched to work closely with the campaign, told me Parscale’s political inexperience made him open to experimenting with the platform’s new tools. “Whereas some grizzled campaign strategist who’d been around the block a few times might say, ‘Oh, that will never work,’ Brad’s predisposition was to say, ‘Yeah, let’s try it.’ ” From June to November, Trump’s campaign ran 5.9 million ads on Facebook, while Clinton’s ran just 66,000. A Facebook executive would later write in a leaked memo that Trump “got elected because he ran the single best digital ad campaign I’ve ever seen from any advertiser.”

Though some strategists questioned how much these ads actually mattered, Parscale was hailed for Trump’s surprise victory. Stories appeared in the press calling him a “genius” and the campaign’s “secret weapon,” and in 2018 he was tapped to lead the entire reelection effort. The promotion was widely viewed as a sign that the president’s 2020 strategy would hinge on the digital tactics that Parscale had mastered.

Through it all, the strategist has continued to show a preference for narrative over truth. Last May, Parscale regaled a crowd of donors and activists in Miami with the story of his ascent. When a ProPublica reporter confronted him about the many misleading details in his account, he shrugged off the fact-check. “When I give a speech, I tell it like a story,” he said. “My story is my story.”

'DISINFORMATION ARCHITECTURE'

In his book This Is Not Propaganda, Peter Pomerantsev, a researcher at the London School of Economics, writes about a young Filipino political consultant he calls “P.” In college, P had studied the “Little Albert experiment,” in which scientists conditioned a young child to fear furry animals by exposing him to loud noises every time he encountered a white lab rat. The experiment gave P an idea. He created a series of Facebook groups for Filipinos to discuss what was going on in their communities. Once the groups got big enough—about 100,000 members—he began posting local crime stories, and instructed his employees to leave comments falsely tying the grisly headlines to drug cartels. The pages lit up with frightened chatter. Rumors swirled; conspiracy theories metastasized. To many, all crimes became drug crimes.

Unbeknownst to their members, the Facebook groups were designed to boost Rodrigo Duterte, then a long-shot presidential candidate running on a pledge to brutally crack down on drug criminals. (Duterte once boasted that, as mayor of Davao City, he rode through the streets on his motorcycle and personally executed drug dealers.) P’s experiment was one plank in a larger “disinformation architecture”—which also included social-media influencers paid to mock opposing candidates, and mercenary trolls working out of former call centers—that experts say aided Duterte’s rise to power. Since assuming office in 2016, Duterte has reportedly ramped up these efforts while presiding over thousands of extrajudicial killings.

The campaign in the Philippines was emblematic of an emerging propaganda playbook, one that uses new tools for the age-old ends of autocracy. The Kremlin has long been an innovator in this area. (A 2011 manual for Russian civil servants favorably compared their methods of disinformation to “an invisible radiation” that takes effect while “the population doesn’t even feel it is being acted upon.”) But with the technological advances of the past decade, and the global proliferation of smartphones, governments around the world have found success deploying Kremlin-honed techniques against their own people.

In the United States, we tend to view such tools of oppression as the faraway problems of more fragile democracies. But the people working to reelect Trump understand the power of these tactics. They may use gentler terminology—muddy the waters; alternative facts—but they’re building a machine designed to exploit their own sprawling disinformation architecture.

Central to that effort is the campaign’s use of micro-targeting—the process of slicing up the electorate into distinct niches and then appealing to them with precisely tailored digital messages. The advantages of this approach are obvious: An ad that calls for defunding Planned Parenthood might get a mixed response from a large national audience, but serve it directly via Facebook to 800 Roman Catholic women in Dubuque, Iowa, and its reception will be much more positive. If candidates once had to shout their campaign promises from a soapbox, micro-targeting allows them to sidle up to millions of voters and whisper personalized messages in their ear.

Parscale didn’t invent this practice—Barack Obama’s campaign famously used it in 2012, and Clinton’s followed suit. But Trump’s effort in 2016 was unprecedented, in both its scale and its brazenness. In the final days of the 2016 race, for example, Trump’s team tried to suppress turnout among black voters in Florida by slipping ads into their News Feeds that read, “Hillary Thinks African-Americans Are Super Predators.” An unnamed campaign official boasted to Bloomberg Businessweek that it was one of “three major voter suppression operations underway.” (The other two targeted young women and white liberals.)

The weaponization of micro-targeting was pioneered in large part by the data scientists at Cambridge Analytica. The firm began as part of a nonpartisan military contractor that used digital psyops to target terrorist groups and drug cartels. In Pakistan, it worked to thwart jihadist recruitment efforts; in South America, it circulated disinformation to turn drug dealers against their bosses.

The emphasis shifted once the conservative billionaire Robert Mercer became a major investor and installed Steve Bannon as his point man. Using a massive trove of data it had gathered from Facebook and other sources—without users’ consent—Cambridge Analytica worked to develop detailed “psychographic profiles” for every voter in the U.S., and began experimenting with ways to stoke paranoia and bigotry by exploiting certain personality traits. In one exercise, the firm asked white men whether they would approve of their daughter marrying a Mexican immigrant; those who said yes were asked a follow-up question designed to provoke irritation at the constraints of political correctness: “Did you feel like you had to say that?”

Christopher Wylie, who was the director of research at Cambridge Analytica and later testified about the company to Congress, told me that “with the right kind of nudges,” people who exhibited certain psychological characteristics could be pushed into ever more extreme beliefs and conspiratorial thinking. “Rather than using data to interfere with the process of radicalization, Steve Bannon was able to invert that,” Wylie said. “We were essentially seeding an insurgency in the United States.”

Cambridge Analytica was dissolved in 2018, shortly after its CEO was caught on tape bragging about using bribery and sexual “honey traps” on behalf of clients. (The firm denied that it actually used such tactics.) Since then, some political scientists have questioned how much effect its “psychographic” targeting really had. But Wylie—who spoke with me from London, where he now works for H&M, as a fashion-trend forecaster—said the firm’s work in 2016 was a modest test run compared with what could come.

“What happens if North Korea or Iran picks up where Cambridge Analytica left off?” he said, noting that plenty of foreign actors will be looking for ways to interfere in this year’s election. “There are countless hostile states that have more than enough capacity to quickly replicate what we were able to do … and make it much more sophisticated.” These efforts may not come only from abroad: A group of former Cambridge Analytica employees have formed a new firm that, according to the Associated Press, is working with the Trump campaign. (The firm has denied this, and a campaign spokesperson declined to comment.)

After the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke, Facebook was excoriated for its mishandling of user data and complicity in the viral spread of fake news. Mark Zuckerberg promised to do better, and rolled out a flurry of reforms. But then, last fall, he handed a major victory to lying politicians: Candidates, he said, would be allowed to continue running false ads on Facebook. (Commercial advertisers, by contrast, are subject to fact-checking.) In a speech at Georgetown University, the CEO argued that his company shouldn’t be responsible for arbitrating political speech, and that because political ads already receive so much scrutiny, candidates who choose to lie will be held accountable by journalists and watchdogs.

"Shady political actors are discovering how easy it is to wage an untraceable whisper campaign by text message."

To bolster his case, Zuckerberg pointed to the recently launched—and publicly accessible—“library” where Facebook archives every political ad it publishes. The project has a certain democratic appeal: Why censor false or toxic content when a little sunlight can have the same effect? But spend some time scrolling through the archive of Trump reelection ads, and you quickly see the limits of this transparency.

The campaign doesn’t run just one ad at a time on a given theme. It runs hundreds of iterations—adjusting the language, the music, even the colors of the “Donate” buttons. In the 10 weeks after the House of Representatives began its impeachment inquiry, the Trump campaign ran roughly 14,000 different ads containing the word impeachment. Sifting through all of them is virtually impossible.

Both parties will rely on micro-targeted ads this year, but the president is likely to have a distinct advantage. The Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign have reportedly compiled an average of 3,000 data points on every voter in America. They have spent years experimenting with ways to tweak their messages based not just on gender and geography, but on whether the recipient owns a gun or watches the Golf Channel.

While these ads can be used to try to win over undecided voters, they’re most often deployed for fundraising and for firing up the faithful—and Trump’s advisers believe this election will be decided by mobilization, not persuasion. To turn out the base, the campaign has signaled that it will return to familiar themes: the threat of “illegal aliens”—a term Parscale has reportedly encouraged Trump to use—and the corruption of the “swamp.”

Beyond Facebook, the campaign is also investing in a texting platform that could allow it to send anonymous messages directly to millions of voters’ phones without their permission. Until recently, people had to opt in before a campaign could include them in a mass text. But with new “peer to peer” texting apps—including one developed by Gary Coby, a senior Trump adviser—a single volunteer can send hundreds of messages an hour, skirting federal regulations by clicking “Send” one message at a time. Notably, these messages aren’t required to disclose who’s behind them, thanks to a 2002 ruling by the Federal Election Commission that cited the limited number of characters available in a text.

Most experts assume that these regulations will be overhauled sometime after the 2020 election. For now, campaigns from both parties are hoovering up as many cellphone numbers as possible, and Parscale has said texting will be at the center of Trump’s reelection strategy. The medium’s ability to reach voters is unparalleled: While robocalls get sent to voicemail and email blasts get trapped in spam folders, peer-to-peer texting companies say that at least 90 percent of their messages are opened.

The Trump campaign’s texts so far this cycle have focused on shouty fundraising pleas (“They have NOTHING! IMPEACHMENT IS OVER! Now let’s CRUSH our End of Month Goal”). But the potential for misuse by outside groups is clear—and shady political actors are already discovering how easy it is to wage an untraceable whisper campaign by text.

In 2018, as early voting got under way in Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial primary, voters began receiving text messages attacking two of the candidates’ conservative credentials. The texts—written in a conversational style, as if they’d been sent from a friend—were unsigned, and people who tried calling the numbers received a busy signal. The local press covered the smear campaign. Law enforcement was notified. But the source of the texts was never discovered.

'WAR ON THE PRESS'

One afternoon last March, I was on the phone with a Republican operative close to the Trump family when he casually mentioned that a reporter at Business Insider was about to have a very bad day. The journalist, John Haltiwanger, had tweeted something that annoyed Donald Trump Jr., prompting the coterie of friends and allies surrounding the president’s son to drum up a hit piece. The story they had coming, the operative suggested to me, would demolish the reporter’s credibility.

I wasn’t sure what to make of this gloating—people in Trump’s circle have a tendency toward bluster. But a few hours later, the operative sent me a link to a Breitbart News article documenting Haltiwanger’s “history of intense Trump hatred.” The story was based on a series of Instagram posts—all of them from before Haltiwanger started working at Business Insider—in which he made fun of the president and expressed solidarity with liberal protesters.

The next morning, Don Jr. tweeted the story to his 3 million followers, denouncing Haltiwanger as a “raging lib.” Other conservatives piled on, and the reporter was bombarded with abusive messages and calls for him to be fired. His employer issued a statement conceding that the Instagram posts were “not appropriate.” Haltiwanger kept his job, but the experience, he told me later, “was bizarre and unsettling.”

The Breitbart story was part of a coordinated effort by a coalition of Trump allies to air embarrassing information about reporters who produce critical coverage of the president. (The New York Times first reported on this project last summer; since then, it’s been described to me in greater detail.) According to people with knowledge of the effort, pro-Trump operatives have scraped social-media accounts belonging to hundreds of political journalists and compiled years’ worth of posts into a dossier.

Often when a particular news story is deemed especially unfair—or politically damaging—to the president, Don Jr. will flag it in a text thread that he uses for this purpose. (Among those who text regularly with the president’s eldest son, someone close to him told me, are the conservative activist Charlie Kirk; two GOP strategists, Sergio Gor and Arthur Schwartz; Matthew Boyle, a Breitbart editor; and U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell.) Once a story has been marked for attack, someone searches the dossier for material on the journalists involved. If something useful turns up—a problematic old joke; evidence of liberal political views—Boyle turns it into a Breitbart headline, which White House officials and campaign surrogates can then share on social media. (The White House has denied any involvement in this effort.)

Descriptions of the dossier vary. One source I spoke with said that a programmer in India had been paid to organize it into a searchable database, making posts that contain offensive keywords easier to find. Another told me the dossier had expanded to at least 2,000 people, including not just journalists but high-profile academics, politicians, celebrities, and other potential Trump foes. Some of this, of course, may be hyperbolic boasting—but the effort has yielded fruit.

"PASCALE HAS SAID THE CAMPAIGN INTENDS TO TRAIN “SWARMS OF SURROGATES” TO UNDERMINE COVERAGE FROM LOCAL TV STATIONS AND NEWSPAPERS."

In the past year, the operatives involved have gone after journalists at CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. They exposed one reporter for using the word fag in college, and another for posting anti-Semitic and racist jokes a decade ago. These may not have been career-ending revelations, but people close to the project said they’re planning to unleash much more opposition research as the campaign intensifies. “This is innovative shit,” said Mike Cernovich, a right-wing activist with a history of trolling. “They’re appropriating call-out culture.”

What’s notable about this effort is not that it aims to expose media bias. Conservatives have been complaining—with some merit—about a liberal slant in the press for decades. But in the Trump era, an important shift has taken place. Instead of trying to reform the press, or critique its coverage, today’s most influential conservatives want to destroy the mainstream media altogether. “Journalistic integrity is dead,” Boyle declared in a 2017 speech at the Heritage Foundation. “There is no such thing anymore. So everything is about weaponization of information.”

It’s a lesson drawn from demagogues around the world: When the press as an institution is weakened, fact-based journalism becomes just one more drop in the daily deluge of content—no more or less credible than partisan propaganda. Relativism is the real goal of Trump’s assault on the press, and the more “enemies of the people” his allies can take out along the way, the better. “A culture war is a war,” Steve Bannon told the Times last year. “There are casualties in war.”

This attitude has permeated the president’s base. At rallies, people wear T-shirts that read rope. tree. journalist. some assembly required. A CBS News/YouGov poll has found that just 11 percent of strong Trump supporters trust the mainstream media—while 91 percent turn to the president for “accurate information.” This dynamic makes it all but impossible for the press to hold the president accountable, something Trump himself seems to understand. “Remember,” he told a crowd in 2018, “what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”

Bryan Lanza, who worked for the Trump campaign in 2016 and remains a White House surrogate, told me flatly that he sees no possibility of Americans establishing a common set of facts from which to conduct the big debates of this year’s election. Nor is that his goal. “It’s our job to sell our narrative louder than the media,” Lanza said. “They’re clearly advocating for a liberal-socialist position, and we’re never going to be in concert. So the war continues.”

Parscale has indicated that he plans to open up a new front in this war: local news. Last year, he said the campaign intends to train “swarms of surrogates” to undermine negative coverage from local TV stations and newspapers. Polls have long found that Americans across the political spectrum trust local news more than national media. If the campaign has its way, that trust will be eroded by November. “We can actually build up and fight with the local newspapers,” Parscale told donors, according to a recording provided by The Palm Beach Post. “So we’re not just fighting on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC with the same 700,000 people watching every day.”

Running parallel to this effort, some conservatives have been experimenting with a scheme to exploit the credibility of local journalism. Over the past few years, hundreds of websites with innocuous-sounding names like the Arizona Monitor and The Kalamazoo Times have begun popping up. At first glance, they look like regular publications, complete with community notices and coverage of schools. But look closer and you’ll find that there are often no mastheads, few if any bylines, and no addresses for local offices. Many of them are organs of Republican lobbying groups; others belong to a mysterious company called Locality Labs, which is run by a conservative activist in Illinois. Readers are given no indication that these sites have political agendas—which is precisely what makes them valuable.

According to one longtime strategist, candidates looking to plant a negative story about an opponent can pay to have their desired headlines posted on some of these Potemkin news sites. By working through a third-party consulting firm—instead of paying the sites directly—candidates are able to obscure their involvement in the scheme when they file expenditures to the Federal Election Commission. Even if the stories don’t fool savvy readers, the headlines are convincing enough to be flashed across the screen in a campaign commercial or slipped into fundraising emails.

'DIGITAL DIRTY TRICKS'

Shortly after polls closed in Kentucky’s gubernatorial election last November, an anonymous Twitter user named @Overlordkraken1 announced to his 19 followers that he had “just shredded a box of Republican mail in ballots” in Louisville.

There was little reason to take this claim at face value, and plenty of reason to doubt it (beginning with the fact that he’d misspelled Louisville). But the race was tight, and as incumbent Governor Matt Bevin began to fall behind in the vote total, an army of Twitter bots began spreading the election-rigging claim.

The original post was removed by Twitter, but by then thousands of automated accounts were circulating screenshots of it with the hashtag #StoptheSteal. Popular right-wing internet personalities jumped on the narrative, and soon the Bevin campaign was making noise about unspecified voting “irregularities.” When the race was called for his opponent, the governor refused to concede, and asked for a statewide review of the vote. (No evidence of ballot-shredding was found, and he finally admitted defeat nine days later.)

The Election Night disinformation blitz had all the markings of a foreign influence operation. In 2016, Russian trolls had worked in similar ways to contaminate U.S. political discourse—posing as Black Lives Matter activists in an attempt to inflame racial divisions, and fanning pro-Trump conspiracy theories. (They even used Facebook to organize rallies, including one for Muslim supporters of Clinton in Washington, D.C., where they got someone to hold up a sign attributing a fictional quote to the candidate: “I think Sharia law will be a powerful new direction of freedom.”)

But when Twitter employees later reviewed the activity surrounding Kentucky’s election, they concluded that the bots were largely based in America—a sign that political operatives here were learning to mimic Russian trolling tactics.

Of course, dirty tricks aren’t new to American politics. From Lee Atwater and Roger Stone to the crooked machine Democrats of Chicago, the country has a long history of underhanded operatives smearing opponents and meddling in elections. And, in fact, Samuel Woolley, a scholar who studies digital propaganda, told me that the first documented deployment of politicized Twitter bots was in the U.S. In 2010, an Iowa-based conservative group set up a small network of automated accounts with names like @BrianD82 to promote the idea that Martha Coakley, a Democrat running for Senate in Massachusetts, was anti-Catholic.

Since then, the tactics of Twitter warfare have grown more sophisticated, as regimes around the world experiment with new ways to deploy their cybermilitias. In Mexico, supporters of then-President Enrique Peña Nieto created “sock puppet” accounts to pose as protesters and sabotage the opposition movement. In Azerbaijan, a pro-government youth group waged coordinated harassment campaigns against journalists, flooding their Twitter feeds with graphic threats and insults. When these techniques prove successful, Woolley told me, Americans improve upon them. “It’s almost as if there’s a Columbian exchange between developing-world authoritarian regimes and the West,” he said.

Parscale has denied that the campaign uses bots, saying in a 60 Minutes interview, “I don’t think [they] work.” He may be right—it’s unlikely that these nebulous networks of trolls and bots could swing a national election. But they do have their uses. They can simulate false consensus, derail sincere debate, and hound people out of the public square.

According to one study, bots accounted for roughly 20 percent of all the tweets posted about the 2016 election during one five-week period that year. And Twitter is already infested with bots that seem designed to boost Trump’s reelection prospects. Regardless of where they’re coming from, they have tremendous potential to divide, radicalize, and stoke hatred that lasts long after the votes are cast.

Rob Flaherty, who served as the digital director for Beto O’Rourke’s presidential campaign, told me that Twitter in 2020 is a “hall of mirrors.” He said one mysterious account started a viral rumor that the gunman who killed seven people in Odessa, Texas, last summer had a beto bumper sticker on his car. Another masqueraded as an O’Rourke supporter and hurled racist invective at a journalist. Some of these tactics echoed 2016, when Russian agitators posed as Bernie Sanders supporters and stirred up anger toward Hillary Clinton.

Flaherty said he didn’t know who was behind the efforts targeting O’Rourke, and the candidate dropped out before they could make a real difference. “But you can’t watch this landscape and not get the feeling that someone’s fucking with something,” he told me. Flaherty has since joined Joe Biden’s campaign, which has had to contend with similar distortions: Last year, a website resembling an official Biden campaign page appeared on the internet. It emphasized elements of the candidate’s legislative record likely to hurt him in the Democratic primary—opposition to same-sex marriage, support for the Iraq War—and featured video clips of his awkward encounters with women. The site quickly became one of the most-visited Biden-related sites on the web. It was designed by a Trump consultant.

'FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE'

As the president’s reelection machine ramps up, Democratic strategists have found themselves debating an urgent question: Can they defeat the Trump coalition without adopting its tactics?

On one side of this argument is Dmitri Mehlhorn, a consultant notorious for his willingness to experiment with digital subterfuge. During Alabama’s special election in 2017, Mehlhorn helped fund at least two “false flag” operations against the Republican Senate candidate, Roy Moore. For one scheme, faux Russian Twitter bots followed the candidate’s account to make it look like the Kremlin was backing Moore. For another, a fake social-media campaign, dubbed “Dry Alabama,” was designed to link Moore to fictional Baptist teetotalers trying to ban alcohol. (Mehlhorn has claimed that he unaware of the Russian bot effort and does not support the use of misinformation.)

When The New York Times uncovered the second plot, one of the activists involved, Matt Osborne, contended that Democrats had no choice but to employ such unscrupulous techniques. “If you don’t do it, you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back,” Osborne said. “You have a moral imperative to do this—to do whatever it takes.”

Others have argued that this is precisely the wrong moment for Democrats to start abandoning ideals of honesty and fairness. “It’s just not in my values to go out there making shit up and tricking voters,” Flaherty told me. “I know there’s this whole fight-fire-with-fire contingent, but generally when you ask them what they mean, they’re like, ‘Lie!’ ” Some also note that the president has already handed them plenty of ammunition. “I don’t think the Democratic campaign is going to need to make stuff up about Trump,” Judd Legum, the author of a progressive newsletter about digital politics, told me. “They can stick to things that are true.”

"EVENTUALLY, THE FEAR OF COVERT PROPAGANDA INFLICTS AS MUCH DAMAGE AS THE PROPAGANDA ITSELF."

One Democrat straddling these two camps is a young, tech-savvy strategist named Tara McGowan. Last fall, she and the former Obama adviser David Plouffe launched a political-action committee with a pledge to spend $75 million attacking Trump online. At the time, the president’s campaign was running more ads on Facebook and Google than the top four Democratic candidates combined. McGowan’s plans to return fire included such ads, but she also had more creative—and controversial—measures in mind.

For example, she established a media organization with a staff of writers to produce left-leaning “hometown news” stories that can be micro-targeted to persuadable voters on Facebook without any indication that they’re paid for by a political group. Though she insists that the reporting is strictly factual, some see the enterprise as a too-close-for-comfort co-opting of right-wing tactics.

When I spoke with McGowan, she was open about her willingness to push boundaries that might make some Democrats queasy. As far as she was concerned, the “super-predator” ads Trump ran to depress black turnout in 2016 were “fair game” because they had some basis in fact. (Clinton did use the term in 1996, to refer to gang members.) McGowan suggested that a similar approach could be taken with conservatives. She ruled out attempts to misinform Republicans about when and where to vote—a tactic Mehlhorn reportedly considered, though he later said he was joking—but said she would pursue any strategy that was “in the bounds of the law.”

“We are in a radically disruptive moment right now,” McGowan told me. “We have a president that lies every day, unabashedly … I think Trump is so desperate to win this election that he will do anything. There will be no bar too low for him.”

This intraparty split was highlighted last year when state officials urged the Democratic National Committee to formally disavow the use of bots, troll farms, and “deepfakes” (digitally manipulated videos that can, with alarming precision, make a person appear to do or say anything). Supporters saw the proposed pledge as a way of contrasting their party’s values with those of the GOP. But after months of lobbying, the committee refused to adopt the pledge.

Meanwhile, experts worried about domestic disinformation are looking to other countries for lessons. The most successful recent example may be Indonesia, which cracked down on the problem after a wave of viral lies and conspiracy theories pushed by hard-line Islamists led to the defeat of a popular Christian Chinese candidate for governor in 2016. To prevent a similar disruption in last year’s presidential election, a coalition of journalists from more than two dozen top Indonesian news outlets worked together to identify and debunk hoaxes before they gained traction online. But while that may sound like a promising model, it was paired with aggressive efforts by the state to monitor and arrest purveyors of fake news—an approach that would run afoul of the First Amendment if attempted in the U.S.

Richard Stengel, who served as the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy under President Obama, spent almost three years trying to counter digital propaganda from the Islamic State and Russia. By the time he left office, he told me, he was convinced that disinformation would continue to thrive until big tech companies were forced to take responsibility for it. Stengel has proposed amending the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability for messages posted by third parties. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter, he believes, should be required by law to police their platforms for disinformation and abusive trolling. “It’s not going to solve the whole problem,” he told me, “but it’s going to help with volume.”

There is one other case study to consider. During the Ukrainian revolution in 2014, pro-democracy activists found that they could defang much of the false information about their movement by repeatedly exposing its Russian origins. But this kind of transparency comes with a cost, Stengel observed. Over time, alertness to the prevalence of propaganda can curdle into paranoia. Russian operatives have been known to encourage such anxiety by spreading rumors that exaggerate their own influence. Eventually, the fear of covert propaganda inflicts as much damage as the propaganda itself.

Once you internalize the possibility that you’re being manipulated by some hidden hand, nothing can be trusted. Every dissenting voice on Twitter becomes a Russian bot, every uncomfortable headline a false flag, every political development part of an ever-deepening conspiracy. By the time the information ecosystem collapses under the weight of all this cynicism, you’re too vigilant to notice that the disinformationists have won.

'POWERS OF INCUMBENCY'

If there’s one thing that can be said for Brad Parscale, it’s that he runs a tight ship. Unauthorized leaks from inside the campaign are rare; press stories on palace intrigue are virtually nonexistent. When the staff first moved into its new offices last year, journalists were periodically invited to tour the facility—but Parscale put an end to the practice: He didn’t want them glimpsing a scrap of paper or a whiteboard scribble that they weren’t supposed to see.

Notably, while the Trump White House has endured a seemingly endless procession of shake-ups, the Trump reelection campaign has seen very little turnover since Parscale took charge. His staying power is one reason many Republicans—inside the organization or out—hesitate to talk about him on the record. But among allies of the president, there appears to be a growing skepticism.

Former colleagues began noticing a change in Parscale after his promotion. Suddenly, the quiet guy with his face buried in a laptop was wearing designer suits, tossing out MAGA hats at campaign rallies, and traveling to Europe to speak at a political-marketing conference. In the past few years, Parscale has bought a BMW, a Range Rover, a condo, and a $2.4 million waterfront house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “He knows he has the confidence of the family,” one former colleague told me, “which gives him more swagger.” When the U.K.’s Daily Mail ran a story spotlighting Parscale’s spending spree, he attempted deflection through flattery. “The president is an excellent businessman,” he told the tabloid, “and being associated with him for years has been extremely beneficial to my family.”

But according to a former White House official with knowledge of the incident, Trump was irritated by the coverage, and the impression it created that his campaign manager was getting rich off him. For a moment, Parscale’s standing appeared to be in peril, but then Trump’s attention was diverted by the G7 summit in France, and he never returned to the issue. (A spokesperson for the campaign disputed this account.)

Some Republicans worry that for all Parscale’s digital expertise, he doesn’t have the vision to guide Trump to reelection. The president is historically unpopular, and even in red states, he has struggled to mobilize his base for special elections. If Trump’s message is growing stale with voters, is Parscale the man to help overhaul it? “People start to ask the question—you’re building this apparatus, and that’s great, but what’s the overarching narrative?” said a former campaign staffer.

But whether Trump finds a new narrative or not, he has something this time around that he didn’t have in 2016—the powers of the presidency. While every commander in chief looks for ways to leverage his incumbency for reelection, Trump has shown that he’s willing to go much further than most. In the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, he seized on reports of a migrant caravan traveling to the U.S. from Central America to claim that the southern border was facing a national-security crisis. Trump warned of a coming “invasion” and claimed, without evidence, that the caravan had been infiltrated by gang members.

Parscale aided this effort by creating a 30-second commercial that interspersed footage of Hispanic migrants with clips of a convicted cop-killer. The ad ended with an urgent call to action: stop the caravan. vote republican. In a final maneuver before the election, Trump dispatched U.S. troops to the border. The president insisted that the operation was necessary to keep America safe—but within weeks the troops were quietly called back, the “crisis” having apparently ended once votes were cast. Skeptics were left to wonder: If Trump is willing to militarize the border to pick up a few extra seats in the midterms, what will he and his supporters do when his reelection is on the line?

It doesn’t require an overactive imagination to envision a worst-case scenario: On Election Day, anonymous text messages direct voters to the wrong polling locations, or maybe even circulate rumors of security threats. Deepfakes of the Democratic nominee using racial slurs crop up faster than social-media platforms can remove them. As news outlets scramble to correct the inaccuracies, hordes of Twitter bots respond by smearing and threatening reporters. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has spent the final days of the race pumping out Facebook ads at such a high rate that no one can keep track of what they’re injecting into the bloodstream.

After the first round of exit polls is released, a mysteriously sourced video surfaces purporting to show undocumented immigrants at the ballot box. Trump begins retweeting rumors of voter fraud and suggests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers should be dispatched to polling stations. are illegals stealing the election? reads the Fox News chyron. are russians behind false videos? demands MSNBC.

The votes haven’t even been counted yet, and much of the country is ready to throw out the result.

'NOTHING IS TRUE '

There is perhaps no better place to witness what the culture of disinformation has already wrought in America than a Trump campaign rally. One night in November, I navigated through a parking-lot maze of folding tables covered in MAGA merch and entered the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi. The election was still a year away, but thousands of sign-waving supporters had crowded into the venue to cheer on the president in person.

Once Trump took the stage, he let loose a familiar flurry of lies, half-lies, hyperbole, and nonsense. He spun his revisionist history of the Ukraine scandal—the one in which Joe Biden is the villain—and claimed, falsely, that the Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams wanted to “give illegal aliens the right to vote.” At one point, during a riff on abortion, Trump casually asserted that “the governor of Virginia executed a baby”—prompting a woman in the crowd to scream, “Murderer!”

This incendiary fabrication didn’t seem to register with my companions in the press pen, who were busy writing stories and shooting B-roll. I opened Twitter, expecting to see a torrent of fact-checks laying out the truth of the case—that the governor had been answering a hypothetical question about late-term abortion; that a national firestorm had ensued; that there were certainly different ways to interpret his comments but that not even the most ardent anti-abortion activist thought the governor of Virginia had personally “executed a baby.”

But Twitter was uncharacteristically quiet (apparently the president had said this before), and the most widely shared tweet I found on the subject was from his own campaign, which had blasted out a context-free clip of the governor’s abortion comments to back up Trump’s smear.

After the rally, I loitered near one of the exits, chatting with people as they filed out of the arena. Among liberals, there is a comforting caricature of Trump supporters as gullible personality cultists who have been hypnotized into believing whatever their leader says. The appeal of this theory is the implication that the spell can be broken, that truth can still triumph over lies, that someday everything could go back to normal—if only these voters were exposed to the facts. But the people I spoke with in Tupelo seemed to treat matters of fact as beside the point.

One woman told me that, given the president’s accomplishments, she didn’t care if he “fabricates a little bit.” A man responded to my questions about Trump’s dishonest attacks on the press with a shrug and a suggestion that the media “ought to try telling the truth once in a while.” Tony Willnow, a 34-year-old maintenance worker who had an American flag wrapped around his head, observed that Trump had won because he said things no other politician would say. When I asked him if it mattered whether those things were true, he thought for a moment before answering. “He tells you what you want to hear,” Willnow said. “And I don’t know if it’s true or not—but it sounds good, so fuck it.”

The political theorist Hannah Arendt once wrote that the most successful totalitarian leaders of the 20th century instilled in their followers “a mixture of gullibility and cynicism.” When they were lied to, they chose to believe it. When a lie was debunked, they claimed they’d known all along—and would then “admire the leaders for their superior tactical cleverness.” Over time, Arendt wrote, the onslaught of propaganda conditioned people to “believe everything and nothing, think that everything was possible and that nothing was true.”

Leaving the rally, I thought about Arendt, and the swaths of the country that are already gripped by the ethos she described. Should it prevail in 2020, the election’s legacy will be clear—not a choice between parties or candidates or policy platforms, but a referendum on reality itself.

______

This article appears in the March 2020 print edition with the headline “The 2020 Disinformation War.”

______

MCKAY COPPINS is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Wilderness, a book about the battle over the future of the Republican Party.

*********

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[usuallyrics-blog]

We Made It (Freestyle)

New Lyrics has been published on usuallyrics.com https://usuallyrics.com/lyrics/we-made-it-freestyle/

We Made It (Freestyle)

(feat. Soulja Boy)

[Intro – Eastbound & Down (Kenny Powers):] The only thing I’m seein’ I’d like to put an amend on, perhaps a little more room here for the fixins, you know what I’m talkin’ about? Oh, we gon’ have a lot of fixins. We gonna have so many fuckin’ fixins up in this motherfucker, this shit gon’ go through the roof. Got damn I’m shittin’ gold these days

[Hook – Soulja Boy:] Nigga we made it, hey We made it Nigga we made it, hey Damn, we made it Nigga we made it, hey We made it, aye Nigga we made it, hey We made it

[Verse 1 – Drake:] She said she workin’ for Walgreens but not in the store, at the head office The head was so good it makes sense why you work at the head office In 2007 I sat in the lobby of Motown and waited Now I walk into the buildin’ and go off like “Nigga we made it!” When I walk through these halls, man this beat should be playin’ I just came to make sure you not missin’ no payments Now turn this shit down while I issue my statement It needed a moment of silence, nigga we made it! You fly out your lady, I fly out my latest Bitches can’t front on the kid anymore, man they know what my name is And if by chance she don’t know who I am, she just know that I’m famous Imma just hand her a business card and say “Nigga we made it!” And she gotta come through the hotel and pop it off for me Then she gon’ text her best friend like “Girl he got some good dick and money” Her friend hit her back like “I know that already, that nigga’s amazin'” Then I send a message to both of they asses like “Nigga we made it!”

[Interlude – Kenny Powers:] Kinda makes me wonder why the hell so many people are tryna tell me to slow down. Seems like motherfuckers should be shuttin’ the hell up and enjoyin’ the show

[Hook – Soulja Boy:] Hey We made it Nigga we made it, hey Damn, we made it Nigga we made it, hey We made it, aye Nigga we made it, hey We made it

[Verse 2 – Drake:] If they with me, just know that they wit’ it and ’bout it If I said it, I meant it, it’s no way around it OVO, Reps Up, and P. Reign is next up watch Gway go crazy When Baka came home for the holidays, I was like “Nigga we made it!” And all of those lawyer fees, nigga I paid it My family get all of my loyalty, all of my patience My life for your life, man I wouldn’t trade it I would just look at you dead in yo’ face and say “Nigga we made it!” I swear that we made it, sell out that ting, I’m the king in Jamaica But I’ve been on that wave, that’s why this year I tell yah, I don’t need no favors (Damn, Soulja Boy stunt on them haters) And my resolution for New Years is nigga we made it! You don’t know how long I waited, I coulda been waitin’ on tables, my karma’s amazin’ I’m out in the Caymans, rented a 12-bedroom house just to sleep all the women we came with That’s ignorant, ain’t it? Sometimes I question myself when I think ’bout the pictures I painted Then I pick up my brush and I sign at the bottom like “Nigga we made it!”

[Hook – Soulja Boy:] Hey We made it Nigga we made it, hey Damn, we made it Nigga we made it, hey We made it, aye Nigga we made it, hey We made it

[Verse 3 – Soulja Boy:] I remember standing in the hood Tellin’ my partner, and my momma, everything gonna be all good Nigga we made it! Damn, I’m up in Las Vegas Damn, I never was supposed to have shit, now my life is lavish Every night, fuckin’ a bad bitch, nigga we made it! Coppin’ a Lambo, cash, the Bentley, 2 times I crashed Ha, nigga we made it! Look at them niggas’ faces, them niggas, they hate it I look a nigga in his face and say “Nigga we made it!” Soulja Boy stunt on them haters And these days I don’t need no favors Nigga we made it!

Who is Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham – Canadian actor and musician. Degrassi: Jimmy Brooks from the next generation. As a rapper, Drake uses his stage name.