In a new piece published on Friday, conservative National Review columnist David French wrote about the abuse and harassment he and his family have faced after publicly opposing Donald Trump and joining the #NeverTrump movement. According to French, they’ve gotten racist images, sexually and violently graphic images, and his daughter’s been called a “n*glet.”
Trump supporters on more than one occasion have made headlines for racism, like the white Trump supporter who threatened a black woman, or the Trump-supporting mayor ousted for racist Facebook posts about the Obamas.
French wrote that Trump supporters sent him photos of his youngest daughter, who is adopted from Ethiopia, photoshopped onto photos of slaves and into a gas chamber. French also wrote that his wife, Nancy French, a columnist for the Washington Post, has been sent violently graphic images. “Black men shooting other black men, close-up images of suicides, GIFs of grisly executions,” French wrote. Nancy was also sent pornographic images of black men having sex with a white woman, including some with her photoshopped into the picture. This was all the more troubling for Nancy, a survivor of sexual assault and abuse.
But the attacks didn’t end online. French wrote that Nancy once got an email from a Trump supporter, a veteran who threatened her to shut up before he took action with a gun. This month, French wrote a person started angrily yelling about Trump on the phone while Nancy and her father were on a call. Because she was on a cellphone and her dad was on a landline, they called police about a possible intruder in the house.
Other public figures who opposed Trump faced similar situations with Trump supporters. Writer Bethany Mandel was told she “deserves the oven” and had private information released, leading to her filing a police report. Erick Erickson had Trump supporters at his house after dis-inviting Trump from an event.
“I oppose Trump not just because he’s an ignorant demagogue and a naked political opportunist, but also because bigotry and intimidation cling to his campaign,” wrote French. “Every campaign attracts its share of fools, cranks, and crazies. But Trump’s candidacy has weaponized them. Every harassing tweet and every violent threat is like a voice whispering in my ear, telling me to do all that I can to oppose a movement that breeds and exploits such reckless hate.”
Trump supporters have gotten violent on occasion, with one man punching a black protester at a Trump rally. "The next time we see him, we might have to kill him," the man said after the attack.
