How a Secret Right-Wing Network Spread Sexual Smears About Harris

A secret network of influencers were paid big bucks to spread sexual rumors about Kamala Harris, according to a new Semafor investigation. The investigation delves into a weird political network of posters, led by an unknown individual, who made it their mission to smear Kamala Harris about her sex life. One person made as much as $20,000 for being a part of the scheme. While the group first organized around generic Republican talking points to support Donald Trump, after an emergency “War Room—Kamala Messaging” meeting following President Joe Biden’s choice to step aside, the network shifted gears to talk about Harris’s sexual activities. They compared Harris to Haliey Welch, the “Hawk Tuah girl” who went viral after discussing oral sex. In August, Trump elevated similar attacks on Harris, reposting a meme on Truth Social featuring photos of Harris and Hillary Clinton alongside the comment: “Funny how blowjobs impacted both their careers differently …” Other conservative posters also emphasized Harris’s previous relationships with California politician Willie Brown and television host Montel Williams.Meanwhile, the right-wing influencer group moved in secret. In Zoom meetings, they kept their cameras off and operated under aliases. But Semafor was able to ID one participant: former New York Representative George Santos. After the plan to sexually smear Harris materialized, the disgraced former congressman said he rejected the messaging and left the call, according to a participant who spoke to Semafor. On July 24, less than 48 hours after the influencer call, Santos posted on X, criticizing “conservative influencers talking about Kamala’s sex life and race” rather than legitimate issues. “Please God make it stop.… I don’t pay my bills or fill up my car with this nonsense!”

Sep 9, 2024 - 18:00
How a Secret Right-Wing Network Spread Sexual Smears About Harris

A secret network of influencers were paid big bucks to spread sexual rumors about Kamala Harris, according to a new Semafor investigation.

The investigation delves into a weird political network of posters, led by an unknown individual, who made it their mission to smear Kamala Harris about her sex life. One person made as much as $20,000 for being a part of the scheme.

While the group first organized around generic Republican talking points to support Donald Trump, after an emergency “War Room—Kamala Messaging” meeting following President Joe Biden’s choice to step aside, the network shifted gears to talk about Harris’s sexual activities. They compared Harris to Haliey Welch, the “Hawk Tuah girl” who went viral after discussing oral sex.

In August, Trump elevated similar attacks on Harris, reposting a meme on Truth Social featuring photos of Harris and Hillary Clinton alongside the comment: “Funny how blowjobs impacted both their careers differently …” Other conservative posters also emphasized Harris’s previous relationships with California politician Willie Brown and television host Montel Williams.

Meanwhile, the right-wing influencer group moved in secret. In Zoom meetings, they kept their cameras off and operated under aliases. But Semafor was able to ID one participant: former New York Representative George Santos. After the plan to sexually smear Harris materialized, the disgraced former congressman said he rejected the messaging and left the call, according to a participant who spoke to Semafor.

On July 24, less than 48 hours after the influencer call, Santos posted on X, criticizing “conservative influencers talking about Kamala’s sex life and race” rather than legitimate issues. “Please God make it stop.… I don’t pay my bills or fill up my car with this nonsense!”