International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 9, Issue 2 2026 18
outlook and my medical insurer’s actions towards the support I can be given.
Many other changes have occurred. I’ve now made several statements to the Police about the abuse at home. I have
a Women’s Aid (men’s division) supporter--Home office trained sort of caseworker. I see her every 1-3 weeks, and
she cajoles me to take certain actions towards getting out of my situation. I have been assessed as being at High Risk
in a MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) meeting and have a Police automatic fast response call
out to my house, if I just dial 999. Since narcissistic traits are often well hidden until victims are deeply enmeshed
in the abuser’s web, identifying “red flags” is crucial. A senior BACP (British Association for Counselling and
Psychotherapy) therapist gave me the “gift” of an in-absentia NPD diagnosis for my wife, which led me to research
the condition further. I came across a suggestion that narcissists struggle to engage with emotionally complex
films, such as Good Will Hunting, which happens to be one of my favorite movies. A narcissist may see no value in
such films, fail to follow their plots, and even leave the room. In my experience, my wife could not watch any film
beyond simplistic cartoons or factual programs like Farming Today. Even when she tried to watch a film with my
son and me, she would ask constant questions such as, “Who is that?” or “Why did they do that?” This revelation
also explained her preference for factual books, typically historical ones, and her inability to engage with novels.
Another glaring sign of her lack of empathy was her disregard for my treasured possessions. Countless items—
some worth several hundred pounds—were thrown away or stolen. She damaged my musical instruments, badly
scratched my car, and removed photographs of me from walls and sideboards, leaving only pictures of her and my
son. These actions reinforced my understanding of her inability to value others’ feelings or attachments.
Reflecting on these behaviors, I wonder if these insights could inspire new diagnostic tools. Existing empathy tests
often require active participation, but observing preferences for films or books might offer a more passive and
revealing measure. Such tools could help identify narcissistic tendencies and provide victims with early warning
signs to avoid entanglement.(Jonathon)

19
Susan Raine, Kilian LaBonte-bon |Witch Hunts and Gendered Politics
Witch Hunts and Gendered Politics:
An Examination of Hillary Clinton Conspiracy Theories
Susan Raine1, Kilian LaBonte-bon2
Abstract: In this article, we examine conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton that emerged before and during the 2016
American presidential campaign and election. These conspiracies characterize Clinton as an evil, Satan-worshipping child
predator witch who has her enemies murdered to silence them. An examination of key conspiracies illuminates the central
anxieties that Clinton posed to the normative, largely masculine, political order in the United States. By focusing on the
Clinton Body Count, Pizzagate, Andrenochrome, Kuru, and Frazzledrip conspiracy theories, as well as other conspiratorial
narratives, we suggest that a clear pattern emerges—one that demonstrates that Clinton has been subjected to a modern-day
witch-hunt and can be theorized accordingly.
Vitriolic and relentless conspiracy theories about Clinton, along with misogynistic stereotypes and caricatures of her, fueled
fears about feminism and its perceived threats to religious–political conservatism. Like the claims made against women during
the European witch hunts, conspiracy theories about Clinton appear absurd: allegations of demonic allegiance, cannibalism,
murder, ritualistic abuse of children, blood sucking, and more. Combining contemporary research on witch-hunt criteria
and scholarship on conspiracy theories and on gender, we argue that Clinton’s political (and other) achievements as a self-
identifying feminist woman made her an imperative target for populist conspiracy theorizing. Clinton’s breach of gendered
socio-political norms and her challenge to the inherently masculine “divine order” led her opponents to demonize her. The
unfiltered and unchecked diatribe against her made for a public spectacle: an intense reminder of what can happen to women
who are viewed as out of place and out of control.
Keywords: conspiracy theories Hillary Clinton witch hunt Pizzagate gender
1 Corresponding author. raines4@macewan.ca. Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology, MacEwan University.
2 Research Analyst at Diplomat Consulting.
“During the 2016 US presidential election, American
social media was flooded with images of Hillary
Clinton wearing a black hat and riding a broom, or
else cackling with green skin. Her opponents named
her the Wicked Witch of the Left... and took particular
delight in depictions of her being melted.” (Miller, n.
p. 2018)
Making History: An Introduction to Hillary
Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton1 (1947–) has spent much of
1 Because Hillary Rodham had established herself during her early
career as a lawyer, university instructor, advocate at the Children’s Defense
Fund and director of the Arkansas Legal Aid Clinic—amongst other
formative roles—she did not initially change her last name to ‘Clinton.’
Moreover, Bill did not expect her to do so. When Bill Clinton ran for the
governorship of Arkansas, he lost. Many have attributed Bill Clinton’s loss in
the gubernatorial race to Arkansans publicly raising questions about Hillary’s
last name. Perception was everything. Hillary Rodham did not meet their
expectations for a governor’s wife. Furthermore, she was a self-declared
feminist. After this loss, Hillary adopted the Clinton name, started wearing
make-up, and changed her hair style. Bill Clinton won the position when he
ran next time around (Bordo, 2017). In this article, we mostly refer to Hillary
Clinton as Clinton when discussing Bill Clinton, we generally use both his
first and last name except where it is awkward to do so.
doi: 10.54208/1000/00092/02
her life in the public sphere, in part due to her marriage
in 1975 to rising political figure, Bill Clinton, then as
First Lady during his two-term presidency from 1993
to 2001. Significantly, however, Hillary Clinton’s own
educational, social, and political achievements and
aspirations also propelled her into the public eye as
early as 1969.2
1
Moreover, Hillary Clinton came of age
during the second wave of feminism in the United
States. The first wave (1848–1920) had secured some
legal and social rights for women, the most critical
of which was the right to vote.3 The second wave
(1960s to early 1990s) tackled other ways in which the
oppression of, and discrimination against, women and
girls continued in various social, economic, political,
and legal realms of society (Scholz, 2010). Second-wave
2 For example, in 1969, Hillary Rodham was selected as the first
student to speak before the graduating class at Wellesley College. Already
recognized for her accomplishments, her speech was published—along with
those of four other speakers from different colleges—in the June 20, 1969,
issue of LIFE magazine. Shortly thereafter, The New York Times interviewed
her (Bordo, 2017 LIFE, 2025).
3 First wave feminists recognized that establishing a woman’s right to
vote would be key to advocating for and receiving further rights (National
Women’s History Alliance, 2025).