With Trump in mind, some progressives online turn against anti-Harris leftists
Many young progressives who were hesitant to usher in another Joe Biden presidency now appear eager to cast their ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris — and they’re turning against fellow leftists online who aren’t on the same page.
Many young progressives who were hesitant to usher in another Joe Biden presidency now appear eager to cast their ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris — and they’re turning against fellow leftists online who aren’t on the same page.
In the days since Biden dropped his re-election campaign, progressive circles appeared to celebrate the news and rally behind Harris. But some left-leaning social media users were quick to criticize progressives’ willingness to vote for “a cop,” and some pro-Palestinian voters argued that Harris’ foreign policy would be just as intolerable as Biden’s.
Soon, however, a slew of TikToks and X posts lambasted the narrative that Harris is on par with former President Donald Trump, listing out numerous ways that they believe a Trump presidency would be worse for marginalized communities at home and abroad. Many also criticized anti-Harris leftists’ seeming inability to come up with a better solution, accusing them of performative activism.
New Jersey-based musician Charley Furey, 28, said he has been fearful about how a second Trump presidency might affect LGBTQ+ rights. He said he wept in relief when Biden — who was too moderate for his tastes — announced that he would step aside, because for the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful that a Democratic nominee could beat Trump.
“Certain leftists want a 100% morally pure option that doesn’t realistically exist in our political system right now. I wish it did but it doesn’t,” said Furey, who also shared his frustration on TikTok. “And it annoys me that rather than use their vote to make a difference in what ways they can, they throw their hands up and say screw the system. It’s a cop-out and completely against what we on the left should stand for.”
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