ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses current concerns about the influence of social media in politics, the impoverishment of political deliberation, and the disadvantages of a virtual polis to consider important features of Donald Trump’s use of Twitter. Drawing attention to social power dynamics of arguments staged on social media platforms, the chapter focuses on Trump tweets critiquing women adversaries and responding to charges of sexism and sexual assault. These brief statements rely on followers to supply problematic premises, illustrating why the classical enthymeme may be as helpful as the digital meme for analyzing 2016’s gendered political appeals. The chapter focuses on how Twitter’s extension of established patterns in persuasion further entrenches urgent ethical concerns. The Trump account sent three notable tweets to make use of the concept of the “woman card,” insinuating that women who referenced gender or sexism in politics were demanding special treatment, exploiting an unfair advantage, and/or making voter appeals based on gender alone.
