The Northern Express Herald

Donald Trump vs Joe Biden: Americans take to Twitter to vent about the election

NZ Herald

Amanda Knox was accused of murdering her roommate in a small town in Italy in 2007. Photo / Netflix

Americans have lived a long four years — and today's election day results, which still have Donald Trump and Joe Biden on a knife's edge — aren't helping their stress levels.

Many people are using social media to vent their frustration and create memes to better express their emotions.

Others, such as Amanda Knox, took to Twitter to air their grievances and not everyone was happy about it.

Knox is a former university student who was accused of murdering her roommate in a bizarre crime that gripped a small Italian town before she was acquitted six years after trying to prove her innocence.

Amanda Knox is led from the courtroom in Italy. Photo / Netflix
Amanda Knox is led from the courtroom in Italy. Photo / Netflix

In November 2007, police walked into a horror crime scene at an apartment in Perugia.

There was a streaky, bloody handprint on the wall, a ripped bra and leg protruding out from underneath a doona. It belonged to Meredith Kercher, a young and beautiful British exchange student who moved to Perugia from England to study.

Knox was her roommate, an all-American 20-year-old college student who was later portrayed as a sex-crazed, vicious psychopath who was responsible for the murder.

Knox was found guilty of the murder in 2009, alongside her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. The wrongful conviction changed her life forever.

After six years of trying to prove their innocence, the pair were acquitted and the case closed in 2015.

Here's what she tweeted:

Whatever happens, the next four years can't be as bad as that four-year study abroad I did in Italy, right?

— Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) November 4, 2020

Understandably, reaction was shift.

"Agreed, the mass persecution of blacks, Muslims, Latinx, & LGBTQ pales in comparison to the tribulations of a single white woman," one person responded.

Others said Knox had "balls" for making a joke like she did but said it was "too soon" on both points.

"I'm sure the family of the murdered girl appreciate you finding the funny side," another said.

She still received some support, with people declaring she had "won the internet".

Memes and jokes

Not everyone is using social media to vent — some are simply having fun with the election as they watch for the official results come in today.

election day moodboard pic.twitter.com/rx90Bc0OYt

— ryan farr (@rymfarr) November 2, 2020

One account might have had a little too much fun and triggered Twitter's wrath after impersonating President Donald Trump.

Satire group The Chaser had their Twitter account shut down after changing their name to Donald Trump and telling Twitter users "don't vote for me, I'm a massive idiot".

The punishment has been swift and severe.

The Chaser lost their coveted blue verified tick but their account is back online after a brief suspension.

We're calling it for Kanye

— The Chaser (formerly known as Donald J Trump) (@chaser) November 4, 2020

Elsewhere online, The Lincoln Project, a league of disenfranchised Republicans who can't bring themselves to vote for their party's pick, shared a digitally altered video of the President dancing aboard a sinking ship.

pic.twitter.com/Pm6lVvvioS

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 3, 2020

BBC newsdesk and planning editor Neil Henderson often tweets out the front page of the next day's newspapers, and given the time difference, UK papers will go to print before an announcement has been made.

The Daily Star tabloid has made light of that fact by splashing the front page with a headline that works for either septuagenarian candidate.

The tabloid front page features the rarely used double-dot ellipsis, whether this is fixed before the paper hits the press we'll have to wait and see.

STAR: Old fart wins election #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/mCWtuoMYyp

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) November 3, 2020

Photos of food that resemble President Trump have been popular online over the last four years and have also been circulated on Wednesday morning.

pic.twitter.com/Pm6lVvvioS

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 3, 2020

Others are waiting to see what the eventual outcome will be but are preparing for any event.

Trump or Biden??? Idc i have memes for both so I'm good 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/3Y4fRVQv6G

— Aspecific Tuber?!🐷 (@AspecificTuber) November 3, 2020

Many are anxiously awaiting the results of the election and someone at the meditation and mindfulness app Calm clearly anticipated that, and was savvy enough to alert the marketing team of the potential.

This is the most hilarious sponsorship I’ve ever seen, everyone at ⁦@calm⁩ deserves a raise pic.twitter.com/ZOUT70Td5W

— David Pierce (@pierce) November 4, 2020