Laura Helmuth, editor-in-chief of Scientific American, faced backlash after posting a series of inflammatory comments following Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the presidential election.
In posts made on Bluesky, a social media platform considered an alternative to X, Helmuth accused her home state of Indiana of being racist and sexist for voting for Trump.
“Every four years I remember why I left Indiana (where I grew up) and remember why I respect the people who stayed and are trying to make it less racist and sexist. The moral arc of the universe isn’t going to bend itself,” she posted.
Another post read, “Solidarity to everybody whose meanest, dumbest, most bigoted high-school classmates are celebrating early results because f*ck them to the moon and back.” In a separate post, Helmuth commented, “I apologize to younger voters that my Gen X is so full of f*cking fascists.”
After receiving significant attention, Helmuth deleted the posts and issued an apology. “I made a series of offensive and inappropriate posts on my personal Bluesky account on election night, and I am sorry” she stated. “I respect and value people across the political spectrum.
These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results. These posts of course do not reflect the position of Scientific American or my colleagues. I am committed to civil communication and editorial objectivity.”
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2024 Election
