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Look: Teen Vogue Op-Ed About 'Trump Gaslighting America' Exposed Misogynists Across the Internet Over the Weekend

The man who is "too smart" for daily briefings is conning us all.

An op-ed titled "Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America" has recently received much acclaim as well as criticism. However, what's more interesting is not the fact that  people had issues with the content of the piece. It appeared that some, specifically men, had trouble reckoning that a piece so complex could be published by Teen Vogue.

  • The piece, written by Teen Vogue weekend editor Lauren Duca, was distributed on Saturday

    In the piece, Duca masterfully explained why all our systems of logic and sanity are being challenged by Donald Trump. 

    “It’s also nothing new,” wrote Duca. “Trump won the presidency by gas light. His rise to power has awakened a force of bigotry by condoning and encouraging hatred, but also by normalizing deception.”

    In order to inspire readers to take ownership of facts and eventually our country, she explained how gas lighting is used as a weapon of power.

    The term “gaslighting,” comes from a 1938 Victorian thriller, wherein a man would mentally terrorize his wife by hiding household goods and making her believe she caused them to go missing. Eventually, the wife realized this only happened when her husband dimmed the gaslights. In turn, she knew it was nothing but deception.

    “To gas light is to psychologically manipulate a person to the point where they question their own sanity, and that’s precisely what Trump is doing to this country,” Duca wrote. “He gained traction in the election by swearing off the lies of politicians, while constantly contradicting himself, often without bothering to conceal the conflicts within his own sound bites. He lied to us over and over again, then took all accusations of his falsehoods and spun them into evidence of bias.”

  • When the article was published, some men were surprised that Teen Vogue could publish an editorial with strong claims and investigative reporting – Sexist tweets flooded the internet soon after

  • Yet women quickly put all that misogyny to a halt and explained exactly why Teen Vogue and the writer should be celebrated for the piece

  • Some even pointed out that Teen Vogue has been taking risks ever since Elaine Welteroth became editor in chief

    The piece not only warns us of how Donald Trump could use manipulation of the facts (something that should be impossible to control) to sway the public. Ironic that the man who does not receive daily intelligence briefings because he is "like, a smart person," is taking the facts that he rejects to instill fear in the American public. 

    Duca and Teen Vogue understood the problematic nature of Donald Trump and exposed it in a way worthy of praise. 

  • And although Duca has received some sexist comments regarding her piece (or appearance), she is much prouder that this has ignited a conversation about the underestimated potential of women

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