Following what may go down in history as one of the most surprising elections of all time, people are still coming to terms with the fact that Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States. I've witnessed my own friends, family members, acquaintances, and everyone in-between express their thoughts online. While a majority of those comments fall on the disappointed or somber side, I noticed a confusing hashtag popping up on pro-Trump Facebook statuses. Why are people tweeting #ByeMiley alongside #MakeAmericaGreatAgain hashtags? I wondered, what does Miley Cyrus have to do with this election? After doing some research, allow me to explain. (Spoiler alert: You probably won't like the answer.)
If you've been following the election since the beginning, you may recall that Cyrus was very pro-Bernie Sanders. She posted a ton of commentary on social media about the Democratic hopeful. But once Hillary Clinton was selected as the nominee, Cyrus shifted gears and supported Clinton. Tying into that, she wasn't shy about being against Trump's negative rhetoric. Back in March, Cyrus said she'd move out of the country if the candidate was elected. To be more specific, she posted Instagrams and wrote in the captions, "gonna vom / move out da country. #aintapartyindausaanymo" and "I am moving if this is my president! I don't say things I don't mean!"
Apparently, Trump supporters aren't letting Cyrus' statement go. Seemingly mocking her previous assertion that she'd leave the country if her candidate of choice wasn't elected, the #ByeMiley hashtag is prevalent on both Facebook and Twitter. Personally, I find it disheartening and like a bit of a low blow. Especially since it's a hard time for Cyrus and others who feel hurt and saddened at the fact that the new president-elect has a history of saying offensive things to women, people of other races, and those from other religions.
The above video was tweeted by 23-year-old on Wednesday morning. Through tears, Cyrus encourages her followers to focus on love and be hopeful about the future. She admits she still thinks Clinton deserves the presidency someday, thanks Obama for his service, and says she even accepts Trump as the president-elect. Yet that doesn't make it any easier to watch her cry. The clip almost made me tear up, too.
Sure, Cyrus previously said she'd leave if he was elected, but her new video makes it clear she's sticking around and still fighting for change. It's unnecessary to mock her previous statement and rub the loss in her face. If anything, Trump supporters are used to letting certain surprising statements go (like "locker room talk" from the candidate), so why are they clinging to Cyrus' words? She didn't run in the election — there's no need to bring her into their victory tweets.
Let's listen to Cyrus. Instead of gloating or belittling each other, it's time to work together and look to the future.
