Any major historical event triggers a wave of domain registrations, and Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election was no exception. According to Verisign, which manages .com and .net registrations, roughly 3,500 .com and .net domains containing the word “Trump” were created in the days following November 8th, Election Day.
The raw emotion of the campaign spilled immediately into the domain world. Domains like americansagainsttrumps.com, bringdowntrump.com, weliketrump.com, and congratulationsdonaldtrump.com capture the full range of reactions, from enthusiasm to outrage.
The sentiments expressed through domain names run the gamut: pride (ivotedfortrumpandimproud.com), disbelief (icantbelievetrumpispresident.com), denial (donaldtrumpisnotourpresident.com), and despair (copingwithtrump.com, trumpdepression.com). Some registrants went further with insults or threats; others called for removal from office; still others simply started counting down the days (daysuntiltrumpisgone.com).
The trend started more than a year earlier, during the Republican primary. By July 2015, “Trump” was already among the top 10 trending keywords in new .com and .net registrations. Trump’s team was well aware: even before the election, more than 100 dispute proceedings had been launched over domains containing the new President’s surname.
The sheer volume of domains registered in such a short window reflects the enormous global impact of this election. The question now: how many of them will ever actually be used.
Photo: Trump Tower by Daniel Huizinga, published under Creative Commons 2.0 license
