In a recent “Weekend Update” segment on Saturday Night Live, comedian Michael Che delivered a punchline that resonated deeply within the digital sphere. Announcing Ronna McDaniel’s reelection as chair of the Republican National Committee, Che listed her challengers, mixing genuine contenders like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell with joke candidates, including “Twitter user @CAT_TURD_2.”
The name itself elicited immediate laughter. For many, it sounded like a fabricated, outrageously-named internet troll concocted for comedic effect – the idea that such a figure could even be considered for a leadership role in the Republican Party was inherently absurd. However, for those immersed in the trenches of online political warfare, the joke landed differently. @catturd2, albeit slightly modified for broadcast, is not a fictional creation. He is very real.
This persona, self-styled as an ordinary, comedic figure fueled by poop-inspired humor within the MAGA movement, has amassed a staggering 1.4 million followers on Twitter. These legions of devotees eagerly await his daily barrages against American liberalism in all its perceived absurdities. From railing against FBI overreach to pronoun debates, @catturd2 has cultivated connections extending beyond right-wing echo chambers. He’s garnered attention and amplification from figures like Donald Trump, who has repeatedly boosted his reach; Tucker Carlson, who lauded him on primetime television for trolling a Democratic congressman; and even Twitter’s on-again-off-again CEO Elon Musk, who has demonstrably bent over backwards to address @catturd2’s grievances with the platform. By consolidating various streams of misinformation into a potent digital torrent, @catturd2 has discovered an explosive formula for disrupting – and potentially steering – public conversation.
The FBI interfered in the 2016 election.
The FBI interfered in Trump’s entire Presidency.
The FBI interfered in the 2020 election.
The FBI Interfered in the 2022 election.
Where TF is the GOP?
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 19, 2022
Pronouns are for losers.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) January 19, 2023
The New World Order learned a lot watching how easily people around the world handed their freedoms away on a silver platter and obeyed them without question.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) February 1, 2023
On a daily basis, @catturd2 engages in online sparring with figures like J.K. Rowling and publicly criticizes “libs” alongside Ron DeSantis’ spokesperson, Christina Pushaw. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been photographed proudly wearing his merchandise and declared his podcast a superior platform to Fox News. Even Donald Trump extended a personal get-well message after @catturd2 was hospitalized for a gastrointestinal issue in April 2022. Sharing this message, @catturd2 highlighted the exceptional nature of a former president reaching out to an “old country, average person” like himself. This carefully constructed image is central to his digital MAGA persona: anonymous yet relatable, ordinary yet deeply connected to the power structures of right-wing ideology.
While @catturd2’s rhetoric is often derivative, his sheer output is prolific, covering a vast spectrum of topics, and demonstrably effective in dissemination. Individuals drawn in by his seemingly folksy demeanor are quickly exposed to claims, such as the assertion that Pfizer sponsored “unholy satanic performances” at the Grammys, providing fresh fodder for QAnon communities. He fuels anxieties by alleging Chinese influence over the Biden family while endorsing far-right groups like Project Veritas over mainstream media outlets he brands as “lying propagandists.” These inflammatory pronouncements consistently garner tens of thousands of likes and retweets. He also frames deeply conservative viewpoints as self-evident common sense, exemplified by his stance against mail-in voting during the pandemic: “If Nancy Pelosi can get her hair done in person — you can vote in person. Pass it on.” This message was, indeed, passed on, retweeted by the then-President of the United States.
I think I’m gonna buy a bunch of cows for the Catturd ranch, and feed them nothing but beans – so they can fart 24/7 just to piss Democrats off.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) July 1, 2021
Tucker Carlson has also acknowledged @catturd2’s influence. On July 12, 2022, Tucker Carlson Tonight aired a segment detailing the unverified claim that Joe Biden’s family refers to him as “Pedo Peter,” based on leaked personal data purportedly from Hunter Biden’s iCloud account. Carlson’s introduction to this segment subtly revealed the source of this narrative: “So, a lot of people online are wondering why, according to Hunter Biden’s electronic devices, Joe Biden’s family refers to him as ‘Pedo Peter.’” One of those “people online,” it turned out, was @catturd2. His tweets that morning referencing the “Pedo Peter” claim received significant engagement – far exceeding that of others using the nickname. @catturd2 was, in fact, a key figure among a small group of conservative influencers who propelled the meme into mainstream cable news.
A few months later, in December, Carlson explicitly recognized @catturd2’s “civic contributions.” Opening his show with a sarcastic farewell to outgoing Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Carlson recounted Kinzinger’s Twitter outburst directed at @catturd2 for a meme mocking US support for Ukraine. “Our heart goes out to Catturd tonight, who’s probably cowering in a litter box somewhere, waiting for Adam Kinzinger to show up with sharpened nails,” Carlson joked. “Mock the Ukrainian flag? Get scratched. Those are the rules, Catturd. It’s a tough town. Meow!” Carlson reveled in Kinzinger’s reaction, mirroring @catturd2’s own delight in provoking it. Naturally, @catturd2 was even more thrilled by this public nod of approval from Carlson, whom he considers the only “trustworthy anchor” remaining at Fox News.
Good morning to everyone except Pedo Peter.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) July 12, 2022
Why does Joe Biden’s family privately refer to him as “Pedo Peter”? pic.twitter.com/RELbC55qhD
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) July 13, 2022
OMG – Did anyone to see Tucker Carlson’s monologue?
WTF? 😂😂😂
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 17, 2022
Two weeks prior to this article’s publication, @catturd2 publicly announced he would not participate in this Rolling Stone profile – simultaneously boosting his own engagement by announcing its existence. He ignored multiple interview requests, as did several of his associates, including Jewels Jones, co-host of his podcast, In the Litter Box.
Despite his evasiveness and commitment to anonymity, @catturd2’s real identity isn’t particularly difficult to uncover. While we will refer to him as “B,” his location in a small Florida Panhandle town is readily available. B. has openly mentioned his “ranch in the middle of nowhere” on Twitter and it’s listed in his 2019 registration for Catturd LLC, the company through which he sells merchandise. Publicly available information on B.’s age and birthday aligns with details @catturd2 has shared online. He is in his late 50s, has been married and divorced multiple times, has no children, and seemingly lives alone with his pets. From his rural Florida home, behind the cartoonish avatar of a smug cat in glasses, he wields considerable influence over a segment of the Republican base that idolizes Trump and DeSantis, and aligns with hardline congressional figures like Reps. Greene, Gaetz, and Boebert.
Born in the mid-1960s, B. claims to have served in the U.S. Army in his youth, relocating to the Florida Gulf Coast after his discharge in 1985. He soon met his first wife at a gym. She was a 19-year-old college freshman; he was in his early twenties. “He was older and so much more experienced than I was,” she wrote in a self-published book in 2018, without naming B. directly. They married in September 1986, three months after meeting, and their marriage was annulled in 1988.
“I wasn’t physically perfect enough, my flaws were many and glaringly obvious, at least to the man I’d married,” B.’s first ex-wife wrote. “His words struck me in a way that seeped under my skin, beneath my bones, and created within me a roaring doubt.” She declined an interview request for this article.
I normally cover all relevant political events here at @catturd2.
But there’s no way I’m watching the psycho Democrat lunatic communist debate.
If I wanted to listen to someone nagging, scolding, fussing, calling me a loser and criticizing me, I’d just get married.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) September 12, 2019
By 1991, B. had experienced another marriage and divorce, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. His third marriage followed a few years later, to a woman we’ll call “H.” H. was a dancer when they met, while B. was pursuing a music career. He fronted a rock band with a lighthearted, fruit-themed name, performing at venues like Bullwinkle’s Saloon and Bubba’s Pizza, reportedly catching the attention of the Dust Brothers, producers known for their work with Beck. H. recounts to Rolling Stone that she was present during the band’s formation. She was immediately captivated by B.’s talent, and his bandmates attended their wedding.
“He was very handsome, and with his singing and playing, he swept me off my feet,” H. remembers. “He used to work late-night at the post office, and I worked until 4 a.m., then he spent the whole morning serenading me. I fell hard.”
H. and B. separated around 1998 as he focused on his band’s success. “Well, him and his band headed one way, and I went the other,” H. explains. “I think he was doing the pushing, he was so talented.” The band dissolved sometime after their separation. “I still love him, but we were just going in different directions,” H. says. Their divorce was finalized in 2002, and H. has had no contact with B. since.
Sometime in the 2010s, a “Catturd,” almost certainly B., emerged as a prominent figure in the Disqus comment section. This account used the same avatar as the @catturd2 Twitter profile and was equally prolific, generating over 55,000 comments and receiving three times that many upvotes. While the main Disqus profile is now private, Disqus Catturd’s replies remain visible on older articles from websites like Breitbart, a platform instrumental in shaping the pro-Trump narratives that contributed to his 2016 victory. This closed online ecosystem would have been an ideal environment for B. to refine his political voice and cultivate a following. Years later, his Twitter followers recall him as a top commenter from this era of conservative blogging, and Breitbart has extensively covered his Twitter activity: @catturd2 is mentioned in approximately 200 Breitbart articles.
B. missed the opportunity to secure the handle @catturd on Twitter; it was claimed in 2010. He has denied using the suspended account @CATTURD1. Regardless of whether @catturd2 was intended as a backup or his primary Twitter handle upon joining, he began tweeting as @catturd2 in September 2018, just before the midterm elections, and quickly gained traction with a boost from Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec. “Today is my 9th day on twitter. Jack Posobiec has retweeted me 5 times,” B. tweeted that month. “And I’ve got almost 400 new MAGA friends.”
Today is my 9th day on twitter.
Jack Posobiec has retweeted me 5 times.
I just saw a Trump rally.
And I’ve got almost 400 new MAGA friends.
This is good as it gets for a turd.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) September 30, 2018
From the outset, B.’s online persona was characterized by vehement opinions and a tendency to politicize virtually everything. Hurricane Michael, which devastated the Florida Panhandle in October 2018 as he launched his Twitter presence, provided an early example. He documented the storm damage to his property and blamed Democrats for inadequate recovery efforts, falsely claiming Florida received no federal aid. “Scumbag Democrats won’t release the money until more is paid to Puerto Rico who got TONS already and their corrupt Gov. blew it,” he tweeted in April 2019. “This is BULLSHIT!” (In reality, Florida had received nearly $1 billion in federal disaster relief by that time.)
However, beyond any pre-existing notoriety from his Disqus days, it was B.’s crude and irreverent approach to American politics that fueled his rapid ascent within MAGA circles. While engaging as a “reply guy” to Trump-aligned influencers like Posobiec, Bill Mitchell, Dan Bongino, and Candace Owens, he simultaneously cultivated a cartoonish persona: the self-proclaimed “MAGA turd who talks shit.” Early tweets included quips about a photo of Senator Elizabeth Warren: “I thought John Denver died years ago.” He depicted his cat alter-ego visiting Michael Cohen in prison: “I bought you Swiss, American, Mozzarella, and extra sharp Cheddar for Christmas,” the caption read. “Best present I could think of for a rat.” Within months, @catturd2 boasted retweets from Tom Fitton, head of Judicial Watch, and Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump White House official.
Just got retweeted by @SebGorka. @TomFitton retweeted me last month.
I’m getting closer to my goal in life … to be retweeted by the greatest President in US history – @realDonaldTrump.
It would be like winning the lottery for a mere turd.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) May 10, 2019
Much of B.’s content, mirroring the @catturd2 character’s name, revolves around scatological humor. His Twitter feed reads like a bathroom-themed version of anti-liberal sentiment. With a pronounced fondness for scatological jokes, B. has coined rallying cries like #FreeTheFarts, #WetBuzzardFart, #CatturdsFartingArmy, #FartingSound (one of which was retweeted by Trump as the US COVID-19 death toll reached 200,000), #PoopyPantsBiden, #PoopGate, #ShartWeek, and countless others. Even outside these hashtags, B.’s focus frequently returns to anal themes, whether imagining someone wearing a mask while defecating or proposing bean-fed cows to maximize methane emissions. Following a hospitalization for a bowel obstruction, he quipped that he was “full of shit.” A recurring joke on leftist Twitter posits that B. is not a genuine MAGA crusader but a fart fetishist cleverly manipulating gullible Trump supporters to inject his kink into political discourse, under the guise of “triggering the libs.”
After establishing his Twitter account in 2018, @catturd2 reached 100,000 followers within just over a year, and quintupled that audience by the end of 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic initially overshadowed his foray into writing. In January 2020, he self-published The Adventures of Cowfart, Literally, a climate denialism parody targeting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, followed in February by a sci-fi novel, Rabbitskin, with a plot echoing Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.
Following these publications, B. downplayed the severity of the pandemic, ridiculed mask-wearing and vaccinations, and amplified his profile alongside extremists capitalizing on the national crisis. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, B. promoted the “Big Lie” – the false narrative of widespread voter fraud. By November 2020, his follower count surged to 400,000, further boosted when Trump retweeted three @catturd2 posts questioning the election results on November 30, 2020. In total, Trump has retweeted @catturd2 seven times, starting in December 2019. Upon learning of Trump’s first retweet, B. exclaimed: “I did it! I did it! I did it! I did it!”
I did it! I did it! I did it! I did it!
I got retweeted by President Trump
Wooooooooo Hoooooooooooo!
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 19, 2019
B. has skillfully utilized Twitter’s mechanisms to enhance his influence. Misinformation researcher E. Rosalie Li observed a significant increase in his use of hashtag campaigns around September 2020, coinciding with his rapid rise. These orchestrated campaigns involve coordinated posting, with @catturd2 urging followers to flood Twitter with specific phrases to achieve trending status and attract coverage from right-wing media outlets. For example, when Bank of America allegedly closed an account linked to In the Litter Box, he launched #BankOfAmericaIsCommieTrash, resulting in favorable coverage in Gateway Pundit. In October 2021, when Fox News and the New York Post inaccurately attributed supply chain shortages to President Biden, B. claimed credit for driving #EmptyShelvesJoe and #BareShelvesBiden to Twitter’s trending topics. After the 2022 midterms, Donald Trump Jr. amplified @catturd2’s theory that Mitch McConnell deliberately undermined GOP candidates in Arizona by refusing to promote unfounded voter fraud claims.
LOL – our #EmptyShelvesJoe just made the New York Post. https://t.co/mKhJeaq5eh
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) October 14, 2021
This week – you @catturd2 followers have made 2 hashtags go #1 nationwide, Even Fox News has been talking about it. #EmptyShelvesJoe#BareShelvesBiden
Of course, they’ll never give us credit for it – but I will.
Thank you 🙏 you’re awesome.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) October 16, 2021
Li’s research further revealed @catturd2’s crucial role in campaigns to discredit Rep. Ocasio-Cortez regarding her experience during the January 6th Capitol riot and Dr. Fauci concerning false accusations of puppy torture. In both instances, related hashtags trended on Twitter, and @catturd2’s Fauci tweets disseminated misinformation that contributed to Fauci’s office receiving thousands of threatening calls. Li concludes that @catturd2’s tactics appear to violate Twitter’s policies against platform manipulation and targeted harassment.
Somewhere in the USA right now – someone is in their home, alone, taking a dump with a mask on – and it’s because of the smell.
100% guaranteed.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) February 10, 2021
“I think Catturd is a very sophisticated troll,” observes Sander van der Linden, a social psychology professor at Cambridge. Proving the influence of figures like B., especially when amplified by mainstream figures like Carlson, is “very tricky” due to the difficulty of directly tracing harmful outcomes to specific troll activity.
Nevertheless, @catturd2 “displays all of the key signs of a troll campaign,” van der Linden argues, with the clear objective of “manipulating public opinion by artificially amplifying extremist and polarizing viewpoints.” The key difference is @catturd2’s massive follower base, placing him at the center of the network and enabling amplification by “hugely influential ‘nodes’” such as Elon Musk. This combination, van der Linden suggests, makes @catturd2 potentially “more dangerous.”
Despite his trolling prowess, @catturd2’s impact on electoral outcomes remains questionable. He has been a vocal MAGA cheerleader during three election cycles that ultimately disappointed Republicans. Each time, his predictions of GOP landslides proved inaccurate, leading to increased revanchist anger. He expresses particular disdain for establishment Republicans like McConnell, McCarthy, Romney, Graham, and Murkowski. However, these politicians have retained their positions, while some of the more extreme candidates he championed have failed to win office. Even @catturd2’s support is fickle; he rapidly shifted from praising Ted Cruz to labeling him a “gutless coward.”
Inconsistencies extend to his relationship with Twitter under Elon Musk’s ownership. Despite hoping Musk’s acquisition would end “censorship,” @catturd2 frequently complains about algorithms limiting his reach, with Musk often responding directly. These complaints are particularly ironic given @catturd2’s follower count surpassed one million shortly after Musk took over, and his tweets about shadowbanning garner massive views.
This is bizarre. Looking into it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 20, 2023
From his early musical aspirations to his relentless online networking as @catturd2, B. has consistently sought attention. Now, as a prominent Florida voter, supportive of both Trump and DeSantis, he occupies a significant position in the Republican Party’s future. Currently, he prefers DeSantis to remain in Florida, but would fully support a DeSantis presidential ticket.
Decades after their divorce, H. views @catturd2’s online persona as satire, surprised by his political turn. “I really never thought that he was so political,” she says. “Opinionated, definitely.” For them, “It was all music.” Whether B. still plays music remains unknown. H. suggests his affinity for Trump may stem from shared traits: “Both are passionate, outspoken men.” If she could reconnect with B., she would reminisce about “the good times,” mentioning her son’s close bond with B. during their marriage. In a wedding photo, she, B., and her son appear as a family that ultimately dissolved.
Despite his online fame as a provocateur, @catturd2 occasionally hints at regret. “Getting old is a hell of a thing,” he recently tweeted. He has also expressed loneliness, contrasting with his often aggressive online persona. While he frequently claims to be “laughing his fucking ass off” at various political targets, his sincerity seems most evident when discussing rescued animals. Maintaining his online influence is, by his own admission, tiring, especially as he approaches 60. The rewards of his online notoriety, in the end, seem limited.
A cartoon representation of a smug cat wearing glasses, the instantly recognizable avatar of the Twitter user Catturd2, employed across various online platforms to establish a consistent and memorable brand.
A representative tweet from Catturd2 accusing the FBI of election interference, showcasing the user’s typical style of politically charged pronouncements delivered with a sense of outrage and urgency.
Another example of a Catturd2 tweet, this time expressing a dismissive view of pronoun usage, reflecting the account’s broader engagement with culture war issues and its tendency towards provocative, often simplistic, statements.
A Catturd2 tweet referencing the “New World Order” conspiracy theory, illustrating the account’s embrace of and amplification of broader conspiratorial narratives popular within certain online communities.
Catturd2 sharing a get-well message from Donald Trump, highlighting the account’s close relationship with prominent figures in the Republican party and the MAGA movement, and emphasizing the user’s perceived importance.
A humorous tweet from Catturd2 proposing a flatulence-based prank targeting Democrats, exemplifying the account’s reliance on scatological humor and its efforts to engage and entertain its audience through politically charged jokes.
Catturd2’s tweet referencing the “Pedo Peter” nickname for Joe Biden, illustrating the account’s role in disseminating and popularizing politically charged memes and narratives, often originating from the fringes of the internet.
Catturd2 reacting to a Tucker Carlson monologue that referenced the Twitter account, demonstrating the symbiotic relationship between the influencer and mainstream conservative media, and highlighting the account’s influence on wider political discourse.
A Catturd2 tweet expressing disdain for a Democrat debate, showcasing the account’s consistently partisan stance and its use of humor and hyperbole to criticize political opponents.
An early tweet from Catturd2 celebrating early recognition from Jack Posobiec, revealing the account’s initial efforts to gain traction and connect with established figures within the conservative online sphere, and highlighting the user’s awareness of social media influence.
Catturd2 celebrating a retweet from Donald Trump, underlining the significance of such endorsements for the account’s growth and validation within the MAGA community, and expressing the user’s strong desire for recognition from political leaders.
Catturd2 taking credit for the #EmptyShelvesJoe hashtag trending, demonstrating the account’s active role in orchestrating and promoting online campaigns and its awareness of its own influence in shaping online narratives and trends.
A tweet from Catturd2 employing scatological humor to comment on mask-wearing, illustrating the account’s consistent use of bathroom-related jokes to engage its audience and inject provocative content into political discussions.
Catturd2 highlighting an interaction with Elon Musk regarding perceived Twitter algorithm issues, demonstrating the account’s direct line of communication with influential figures and its willingness to publicly engage with platform leadership about its own perceived reach and influence.
A reflective tweet from Catturd2 on the challenges of aging, offering a rare glimpse of vulnerability beneath the often abrasive online persona, and suggesting a potential disconnect between the energetic online persona and the individual behind it.
