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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).

International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 9, Issue 2 2026 20
feminism and the changes it wrought made many of the
opportunities that Clinton has enjoyed possible, as it
challenged the prior societal narrative of women being
unfit for public life. As we discuss, Clinton epitomizes
the promise of the second wave indeed, she exceeds its
expectations by achieving the type of political stature
only a very few individuals acquire—irrespective
of their sex and gender.4
1
Hence, the significance of
Clinton’s accomplishments cannot be overstated.
Extreme scrutiny and criticism have followed Clinton’s
success such that every detail of what she does and who
she is has been subject to discussion, analysis, disdain,
attack, conspiracy theorizing, and outright misogyny.
Although Clinton has been the target of vicious attacks
for much of her adult life (Brisini, 2019 Bordo, 2016
D’Antonio, 2020 Hitt, 2007 and Vasby Anderson,
1999)—and primarily for being a goal oriented,
successful, and powerful woman—such attacks took
on new heights of vitriol and absurdity during her
campaign for leader of the Democratic party in 2007
and her subsequent run for the presidency in 2016.
In this article, we propose that Clinton has been
the subject of substantial bias, discrimination, and
conspiracy theories that characterize her as something
she is not: an evil, demonic, deceptive, Satan-
worshipping child predator witch who has her enemies
murdered in order to silence them. An examination of
key conspiratorial narratives illuminates the central
problems and anxieties that Clinton has posed to
4 The Third Wave of feminism emerged in the 1990s. Although part of
its mandate was to build upon the work of second wave feminism, it sought
also to expand the category of feminism itself. Consequently, the third wave
adopted an intersectional (Crenshaw, 1991) approach that addressed the
omission of women of colour from dominant feminist discourse (Murdocca,
2017). Hence, scholars including Kimberle Crenshaw, bell hooks, (Gloria
Jean Watkins) and Patricia Hill Collins addressed the evident omissions of
second wave feminists. Other feminist scholars discussed questions of beauty
standards, sexual objectification, sexuality, gender, and gender identity.
This new generation of thinkers and activists encouraged girls and women
to understand their strengths, their potential, and their ability as individual
agents to occupy and succeed in positions of power (Tornblom, 2006
Szymanski, Moffitt, &Carr, 2011 Klein, 1990).
In 2012, the fourth wave of feminism emerged. This wave drew
attention not only to the ongoing sexualization of women, but also to sexual
violence, sexism and misogyny. Furthermore, this wave more robustly
addressed the challenges that LBGTQ+ persons face. Online and in person
activism combine during this wave.
Feminism, more broadly, seeks to establish equality for all persons
(Haradan, 2022). In this article, we incorporate the insights of several
feminists (for example, Susan Bordo and Lorna Bracewell), but we do not
identify with one feminist tradition, instead taking a holistic approach that
values the core goals and progress made across every stage of feminism.
Bordo, for example, emerged during the second wave, remained prominent
during the third, and continues to transcend strict categorization in terms of
‘wave’ and subtypes of feminism (e.g. liberal, Marxist etc.)
key conspiratorial narratives illuminates the central
problems and anxieties that Clinton has posed to
the normative, largely masculine, political order.
By focusing on the Clinton Body Count, Pizzagate,
Andrenochrome, Kuru, Frazzledrip conspiracy
theories, and other conspiratorial narratives that
emerged from QAnon and other sources, 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. Bringing
together contemporary witch-hunt criteria (Wood,
Nathan, Beck, &Hampton, 2017) and scholarship on
conspiracy theories and gender, we argue that Clinton’s
successes and goals as a self-identifying feminist
woman made her a target of conservative and populist
conspiracy theories. Clinton is symbolic of the ongoing
culture wars in the United States between religio-
conservative factions and those who support women’s
autonomy and inclusion in leadership roles in secular
public life.
We continue our introduction here with a brief
overview of Clinton’s education, advocacy work, and
professional accomplishments. Suffice it to say, the
totality of these accomplishments in addition to her
activism and tireless work in support of marginalized
communities is far too great to acknowledge fully in
this article.5
1
Once she completed her undergraduate degree in
political science at Wellesley College6 Clinton attended
Yale Law School (graduating in 1973), where she met
her future husband (Bordo, 2017 D’Antonio, 2020
Patrick, 2016). After graduating from Yale, Clinton
worked as an accomplished attorney. Then she
5 In the following segment—and throughout this article—we focus on,
and make reference to, many of Clinton’s achievements. Moreover, we address
some of the obstacles that she has had to overcome as a woman in politics.
This focus and recognition of Clinton’s numerous accomplishments does not
mean to suggest that Clinton is infallible and without missteps in her career.
Rather, our vigorous support for and emphasis on her achievements serves
as a counter to the constant, vitriolic, and at times, quite disgusting attacks
that she has endured (and continues to endure), —often at the hands of those
who lack her cumulative skills, education, experience, and professionalism.
Hence, this unabashed discussion and defense of Clinton examines what has
been a remarkable career for any person, irrespective of sex and gender, but
is especially impressive given what she has had to endure specifically because
she is a woman.
6 Pauline and Henry Fowle Durant established Wellesley College in
1870 to offer women the opportunity to study at the highest level. A highly
regarded liberal arts college, the institution remains a private, for women—
including people who identify as women—institution of higher learning
(Wellesley College, 2025a). In April 2024, Wellesley opened the Hillary
Rodham Clinton Centre for Citizenship, Leadership and Democracy
(Wellesley College, 2025b).