It’s a way to infantilize and ridicule the red team candidates that’s really hard for them to dismiss. They want to be perceived as strong, noble, divinely-appointed saviors of the morality of the country. Using ‘weird’ as an attack takes the wind out of their sails. And the only effective way to counter it is to embrace and transcend it, something the red team is incapable of doing.

From an article in WP

A central pillar of Trump’s campaign is the idea that liberals are perverted misfits who want to tear down American values. … [Trump supporters] were strong; libs were weak. They were right; libs were wrong…

“Weird” intrudes on that narrative. It doesn’t entirely upend it, but it does plant a seed of doubt. What if, instead of being admired or feared, they are instead being laughed at? What if, instead of edgelords, they are actually just the kids in the corner eating glue off their hands?

also

“He’s just a strange, weird dude,” newly-named vice presidential nominee Tim Walz (D) told an assembled group of 60,000 “White Dudes for Harris” at an online fundraiser last week. The Minnesota governor has been, if not the inventor of this tactic, its most skilled proponent.

Good weird = you get called weird, and you’re like, “duh, we’re all weird”

Bad weird = you get called weird, and you respond defensively and have to prove how normal you are to everyone

Tim Walz said that Republicans had become weird and they all got really offended and started doing race science about it, so it works.

“pejorative” is probably a better word. calling it a “slur” is a bit strong.

but Tim Walz started it when he called JD Vance “weird.” It just sorta stuck because, well, he’s right.

Tim Walz just said it in a speech. He called the behavior of maga and maga cultists weird. And it stuck.

It probably stuck because it’s an apt description that they don’t like. They have no shame, so trying to actually shame them does not work… which is also weird. The unapologetical and blatant lying is weird… the whole world watches these people and most think… what the fuck…

It’s only bad if you’re offended by it. Embrace the weird = all good. Spend all your time trying to convince people that you’re not weird = super weird.

1. Republicans are morons

2. Republicans are anti-intellectual

3. Using sophisticated language to critique republicans shows them you’re not one of them, and they can write you off as a member of the out-group in their minds

4. The word weird doesn’t trigger the anti-intellectual alarms, so their defenses don’t shoot up, and they’re left scrambling for a retort, feeling awkward as they are now a member of their own out-group

I’ve seen people say there’s good weird and bad weird, and if you don’t mind calling yourself weird it’s probably the good kind.

As for calling maga people weird I think it’s effective because their whole deal is about vibes. “We’re strong, we’re smart” and it really bothers them to be perceived otherwise. It’s also not something you can “debate”. Either people accept it or they don’t. What are you going to say “no, I’m not weird”? Sure thing buddy.

I don’t think it’s a slur. That’s what makes it funnier. It is a slur TO HIM and his cucks.

As an additional point; “weird” isn’t a slur. A slur is an expression where the very words themselves are considered obscene - a slur is offensive, even when it is used to describe someone or something according to its strict definition.

There is no context where describing someone as a “removed” or a “retard” isn’t offensive. “Weird” isn’t like that, as you’ve pointed out - it’s being used as a simple insult, and it’s persistent because it seems to really annoy the people it is directed at

Edit: to further my point, one of my examples is so objectionable that it was automatically filtered from my post

Ok so this feels a lot like borrowed/manufactured concern or outrage. Thats why you’re getting downvoted, and I admit it looks like that to me too.

But if your question does happen to be genuine: it’s because it’s one of the most hilariously simple rhetorical shots that anyone has made at the GOP and Trump + Vance. The fact that they’re so bent out of shape and CLEARLY upset by being called “weird” is weird by itself, in the most negative connotation of the word. Not to mention, most people who consider themselves “weird” - including myself - would respond to being weird with something between “hell yeah dude fist bump” and “hell yeah dude. Go fuck yourself”, depending on the context and delivery of the original comment. The fact that they’re SUPER upset about being called weird is the primary fact that’s being made fun of here, as well as the fact that, well, the things they are fixating on, and a ton of their campaign positions, are objectively outright weird. It’s leaning on linguistic subtleties and flexibility to take a shot at fascists and live rent-free in their heads, and to most people, it’s absolutely fucking hilarious that it seems to be working.

The problem is, they are weirdos. You can’t make up stuff like the video of JD Vance in the donut shop. It’s hilarious.

Don’t worry about it too much. I don’t think this current trend will completely overtake the word “weird”, but even if it does, you’ll still be good-weird, Republicans will still be bad-weird, and people will know the difference, no matter what we call those things.

The weird window has shifted. Having purple hair and a nose ring used to be “very weird”. Now nobody blinks an an eye at that stuff.

But being attracted to your own daughter (and admitting it publicly) and fucking a couch (and admitting it publicly) are still considered very weird.

I dont think it is helpful to see it as a slur. This is more like “use my words against me” and it works, really well. The right wing folks this is messing with identify as being normal, predictable, sensible, strong, etc. Not weird. So when one of them goes to a donut shop and has their internal record get stuck on “OK, good” it looks abnormal, unpredictable, nonsensical, and perhaps even weak. AKA weird, and we can make them uncomfortable with that.