Trump’s “Low Energy” Jeb, from his 2016 Republican primary run. This moniker was part of a broader strategy that Trump has since elevated to a national level, particularly in his second term. These times are changing, allowing us to shift the political landscape. The transformation in narrative creation and distribution that Trump’s meme deployment and shitposting represents is a far larger change.
In Trump’s jibe, Jeb Bush proved he is not a potted plant, insisting on his lively disposition, showcasing his action-packed campaign itinerary. Contrary to Bush’s ridiculous assertions, the right has been winning the meme culture wars for several years. This supremacy is not the result of greater genius. Rather, it’s because of their power to get normies and outsiders riled up, because they can shitpost— the dangerous low-effort genre of social media content designed to delight insiders while infuriating outsiders.
Shitposting has its origins in communities like 4chan, where it started out as an act of trolling. Under Trump’s influence, the project has turned into a partisan communication weapon. Announcing this strategy, a senior White House communications adviser called it a “strategy of deniability.” They shared a video on X, showing off their new presidential Walk of Fame. The video was initially shared on Facebook with the intriguing caption “Wait for it…” It used an emoji of a pen in conjunction with a pair of eyes emoji to create anticipation and interest.
On the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Trump took to Twitter to invoke his trademark nicknames for political opponents. He called Marco Rubio, Little Marco and Jimmy Kimmel, No Talent. These labels serve a dual purpose: they are designed to entertain Trump’s allies while baiting his adversaries. To be fair, creative nicknaming is a hallmark of Trump’s bizarre communicative style. Rather than venturing meaningful critiques for real conversation, he resorts to cheap shot direct literalisms.
A great new video released by the White House drew attention to this change. It featured the very cool framed photograph of Biden’s autopen signing Joe Biden’s name—which is now replacing Biden’s portrait in the presidential Walk of Fame. This graphical depiction really brings forward the stupidity that is usually present in shitposting. It distorts reality—for comic effect—that often obscures the truth and confuses reality with comedy.
By sharing an extremely incendiary video, the Department of Homeland Security fanned this flames. It compared unmasked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arresting ordinary Americans with the peppy song and animation from the opening credits of the Pokémon animated series. And that’s where the theme song “Gotta Catch ’Em All” adds a whole new layer of irony and absurdity. This is in direct opposition to foundation principles of shitposting.
JD Vance, the junior U.S. Senator from Ohio, made headlines last week after referring to a well-known liberal columnist as a “dipshit.” He famously invited his critics to “f*ck off.” His remarks are a perfect picture of the unpredictable world of shitposting, leaning all the way into the bedlam it brings. Unfortunately for Vance, his strategy has backfired and been met with derision, as he is the one being seen as a “try-hard” instead of a quality shitposter.
The 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter made the distinction between trolling and meaningful action very clear. He chronicled his evolution away from leaving comments that didn’t matter towards making better “effort posting.” This phrase underscores a shocking reversal. When online provocation has crossed the line into real-world violence, it raises deep questions about how shitposting has warped political discourse.