Anonymous Declared “Total War” On Trump, But What Are They Up To Now?

Hacktivist group Anonymous declared all-out war on Donald Trump in March, but have since fizzled out into (almost) non existence. What’s up with that?

Earlier this year in March, Anonymous promised to launch operation #OpTrump in an effort to dismantle his inflammatory political campaign. According to the Telegraph, Anonymous had previously posted a number of personal details allegedly belonging to Trump, including a phone and social security numbers.

“Your hateful campaign has not just shocked United States of America, but you have shocked the entire planet. You don’t stand for anything except your personal greed and power,” Anonymous said in a YouTube video pegged as “a call to arms”.

(The video has since been removed from its official channel.)

Anonymous has since delivered another video titled, Message to Donald Trump II in which it advises president-elect Trump to protect the American people.

Vice News reporter David Gilbert writes, despite how serious the call to arms appeared, Anonymous was virtually nowhere to be seen during the entire election campaign. There weren’t any major operations or major leaks.

Speaking to Vice News, representatives from YourAnonNews said, “The U.S. election pitted friend against friend, mother against son. It did the same with Anonymous as many activists become caught up in the debate instead of remaining true and steady against the establishment.”

A former member of Anonymous, Hector Monsegur, spoke out about the group, saying he thinks the concept and movement behind Anonymous is “simply dead”.

Gilbert writes, “People found it difficult to understand Anonymous, which has no centralised leadership or organizational structure… this lack of leadership caused a lot of the problems.”

In the past, Anonymous was a powerhouse in shaping public conversation. Take for instance their assault on Sony Pictures and Fox News. The group continues to launch operations on a daily basis, but none of them seem to be gaining momentum at all.

Wauchula Ghost, a hacker associated with Anonymous, told Vice News, “People need to understand it’s not about buying a mask and creating a Twitter account… you actually have to fight for what you believe in.”

The folks who run YourAnonNews remain positive about the movement, insisting that although online enthusiasm has waned, people should keep in mind that there is an “ebb and flow” to Anonymous as a whole.

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